Risk and Reward
by I'mSolidSnaek
Summary: Nearly a century after a series of devastating wars, humanity is still reeling from the end results. In this chaos, a rebellion brews, claiming that only one powerful king can save humanity. However, their idea is unacceptable to the various city-states, as well as their methods to achieve this. Hiatus. Sorry I haven't worked on this for a while.
1. Prologue I: Rise of a Tyrant

**Update: 10/19/15: Moved background to the very end of the chapter. Other than that, unchanged.**

 **AN: Hello everyone! I thank you for taking the time to read my latest work, and my first multi-chaptered fic. I've been meaning to get one out for a bit now, but the first idea… fell flat on its face. I only recently started working on this, but I think it has a better story than the first. I hope. I guess only time will tell. I appreciate any feedback any of you guys or gals out there have. Hope you enjoy this!**

 **Also, I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye out for any memorable quotes, and tell me later. I might do something with them later on, or I might not. Depends on my brain.**

 **Disclaimer: Nintendo owns Earthbound and its characters: I only own the plot and the OCs.**

* * *

The Royal Family of the Confederation of Eagleland was not exactly at peace currently, since a bunch of men that were dressed up as pigs were only held back from the enterance by only the hastily-constructed barricade, and even then the guards were slowly falling.

The man-pigs were technologically superior to the guards' since the most advanced the guards could bring to bear were a handful of guns that relied on a rapidly dwindling supply of bullets. The rest were forced to use medieval weaponry and went up against laser guns that didn't need bullets. Nevertheless, the low odds of survival was not the main thing on their minds.

Their thoughts mostly went to the safety of the Royal Family. Both King and Queen Polestar were benevolent rulers, in the eyes of most. They held no real power in the Confederation, but they still symbolized a step towards what countries looked like. And if the man-pigs had their way, what would they do to them? Throw them into the dungeons or execution? The possibilities were overwhelming if they thought about it, so they didn't. If they did not survive, that left only Princess Polestar to lead, and she would probably suffer the same fate as her parents. If they were to endure as a Confederation, they would have to at least buy the Royal Family enough time to escape. These thoughts strengthened the resolve of the defenders as they stubbornly resisted the rebel forces.

Moments later, Captain Ernest Levins, the Captain of the Guard reached the barricade. He wasn't their commander for nothing; he was an inspirational leader and possessed potent PSI, which he put to use by blasting away their center with a single PSI Fire Gamma. Shortly after, he raised a Shield Beta to protect not only himself, but also the troops charging in for close combat. Now the guards were in their comfort zone: Their medieval weaponry useful for cutting down enemies and protecting them. The masks on the man-pigs also didn't help them since their more limited vision only served to hinder them in close-combat. Plus, their force was being cut into two pieces; they had no choice but to retreat to the gates.

Deep in the heart of the castle, King Polestar paced back and forth across the throne room as the sounds of battles echoed down the halls. He had a gut feeling that they would not hold for much longer, but long enough for them to escape. He looked at his wife, who was currently hugging their only child as she winced at every battle cry that her ears picked up. However, close by their side was the one who had the best chance of surviving the battle if they joined.

Of course, he knew that the chance was slim, and he had no intention of wasting the fifteen-year old's life like that, no matter his accomplishments as a warrior. After all, Ninten was like a son to him; he could not bear the thought of sending him to his death intentionally; though the Giant Knife strapped onto his back would be sure to fell a number of the attackers. His oversized blade was as sharp as his emerald green eyes and as tough as his fists. But he had another mission for the loyal guardian.

"Ninten," the king whispered, gaining his attention. He closed his eyes as he resumed. "Through your five years of service, you have demonstrated superb combat skills to your peers at the academy, undying loyalty to the Royal Family, and friendship to my daughter," he began. "But this mission I am about to give you will test all three of those admirable qualities. I beg you not to lose them."

"I can handle it, just give me the order," Ninten replied.

The king sighed, deciding to just get this over with. "Take Paula and escape through the secret passages," he instructed. "She is the hope of the future; she must not suffer the fate that these...rebels want to inflict onto her.

"Your majesty, what about you and the queen?" Ninten questioned.

"We can escape by ourselves, there is no need for you to worry," the king reassured, placing a hand on one of his shoulders, feeling the coldness of the metal plating on his shoulder pad. "Now go, and get her to safety."

"Yes sir," Ninten saluted, and then faced Paula. "You heard your father, let's move," he told her.

The duo left the throne room, but not before taking one last look back at the king and queen, both smiling and nodding reassuringly. Then they took off down the hall.

It didn't take Ninten long to reach a particular painting, one with the Earth on fire and an ominous shadow looming over it. That shadow belonged to their leader, or at least most thought it was. But there was no doubt it had to do with the PSI Wars. And it contained the entrance to the secret passage network around the castle that dated back to the PSI Wars. With Paula's PK Fire lighting up the tunnels, the duo headed to safety.

King Polestar sighed. "I'm sorry I lied to you, Ninten," he apologized. "But I would rather die than to abandon the men I lead." He drew a single saber from his sheath. "As such, anyone who enters this room will probably lose their heads in more ways than one," he declared.

* * *

"Halt advance!" Captain Levins shouted at the top of his lungs. "Fortify this position; we'll wear them down here, and then drive them back!"

"Sir!" a soldier called. "The leader of these forces requests an audience with you."

"What?" Levins growled, distrusting this information.

"Sir, he's on the radio over there," the soldier pointed to a radio lying several feet away. Despite his suspicions, Levins felt that it was for the best to at least learn the motivation and identity of the enemy, and maybe cause him to spill the beans on his plot (however unlikely).

"This is Captain Levins of His Majesty's Royal Guard," he growled through the radio. "I hear you request an audiance. Speak your demands or I'll personally make sure your pathetic excuse for an army is routed."

"Your empty threats do not intimidate me," a distorted voice sneered from the other side. "You have no idea who you're dealing with, as your ignorance radiates off you with that arrogant statement."

"Then why have't we been overrun by now?" Levins asked. "And who are you?"

"Both are beneath me to answer," the voice continued. "Though you will find out the answer to one of them soon enough..."

"What do you hope to gain by allowing your own men to die in this futile attack?" Levins scoffed.

"The Royal Family is weak; it will fall when it is most needed," the voice stated. "Have you ever heard the saying 'might makes right'? To save the human race from itself, I have to be mighty. That is the only way to unify what is left, and endure as a species."

"Preposterous," Levins snarled. "This Confederacy is only a stepping stone; uniting each city-state will require resources we don't have! Your goal is to save humanity? Well you'll _doom_ it with these wars of yours!"

"And you'll doom it by not allowing me to do what is right?"

"Your forces spilled too much blood today," Levins continued. "If you overthrow the family, you'll trigger war with every city in the Confederacy. No matter the outcome, it will undo most, if not all of the work our ancestors have poured into this continent. Are you willing to take that risk, knowing the possible consequences?"

"You are not listening, and therefore unworthy of my notice," the voice sneered. "I think I'll have my pet deal with you, and show you a fraction of my strength."

At that moment, a loud ' _bang!'_ echoed across the castle fields. Levins gasped as he saw several soldiers fall to the ground, sparking with electricity. He turned his gaze upward, and spotted someone he nearly mistook as a soldier. Actually, he was dressed like a soldier, if the black leather coat, military pants, combat boots, gray helmet, and yellow sword were anything to go by. A PSI user by the way he was uniquely dressed, as well as the electricity sparking on his sword, and he was flying with a jetpack with bat-like wings. But he looked no older than fifteen, no older than that Lieutenant assigned to guard the Princess.

"Fall back to the barricade!" Levins ordered. "We can't hold this position! However, I will deal with that psychic!"

The Masked Man waved his sword once, and then landed on the ground. Both warriors stared each other down. Then the Masked Man charged. Even though his sword was parried by Levins's katana, he was blasted by the Masked Man's cannon.

He got back up from being knocked down and growled. Electricity cackled around his fingers as he prepared a PK Thunder Gamma to attack his adversary with.

* * *

Paula's PK Fire had just gone out, but it was not because of her lack of endurance: Both sensed an ominous presence with them, and they hoped that by extinguishing it they would have a better chance of sneaking out.

But unfortunately, their stalker was not fooled by this.

"Nwehehehehehehehehe!"

Ninten drew his Giant Knife as Paula charged her PSI as the haunting laugh echoed through the caves. Sure enough, the one who cackled came into sight seconds after it finished echoing. He was short and stocky; honestly not very impressive physically. But Ninten wasn't either, so he wasn't fooled by his appearance when he sensed incredible PSI energy emanating from this man.

The man must have been either really confident or exceedingly stupid because he took out a banana, ate it in one gulp, and then threw the peel on the ground. Ninten knew Paula was going to have a fit.

"Hey, what was that for?" she snapped. "Why can't you throw that in the garbage bin? I mean, come on! The last thing we need in these times is pollution!"

It would have been hilarious if it weren't so true.

"You naive little girl, pollution is hardly the worst problem that this world faces now," the mystery man sneered.

"I think we all know that; yet pollution can amplify it."

"That won't be an issue before long."

"What do you mean?" Ninten demanded.

"What I mean is that these...so-called governments are just folly. They are only delaying the inevitable."

"What, you mean humanity's extinction?" Ninten scoffed. "Well, united we stand a better chance than on our own of surviving, so if you have a better solution, why don't you propose it?"

"You can't fool me into blabbing all of my master's secrets," his adversary rolled his eyes. "Don't you realize that war is the only way to ensure our survival? My master wishes to unify humanity under him, and give them the means to endure. Didn't you say, 'united we stand'?"

Ninten's eyes narrowed. "You are a fool for thinking war at this time is acceptable. Most city-states around the world can't even field standing armies, and those that can only have a few thousand partially-trained troops at their disposal. We can't afford another world war, not after the last one. And this 'ruler' would be your master? How can we be sure he won't give us a one-way ticket to hell?"

"You don't, but you must boy," the mystery man frowned. "But we're wasting time: Hand over the girl, now."

Ninten's eyes flashed as a response. A moment later, both princess and guardian disappeared in a similar flash of light, only to reappear behind him seconds later.

Ninten adopted a battle stance. "Paula, run! I'll handle this," Ninten called.

"No! I won't leave you, Ninten!" she cried.

"You must!" Ninten snapped. "If you don't survive, neither will everything we and our ancestors fought for will come to fruition on this continent. You need to rally the other cities! You need not worry; I will not die here today."

Ninten could sense Paula's inner dilemma. She didn't want to abandon her best friend to an uncertain fate, not after abandoning the soldiers defending the castle, yet she understood what he was saying.

In the end, she decided to place her trust in her best friend.

"Be careful Ninten," she ordered before she fled the scene.

The mystery man wasn't about to let that fly if he could help it. "Out of my way, _boy,"_ he growled. "Or else Commander Fassad will have to break every bone in your body...no, I won't do that; I'll turn you into _dust."_

"Let's see if you're good enough to keep your word."

Fassad let out a battle cry as he charged, scimitar flashing as he swiped for his opponent's legs. Ninten leaped back, and parried Fassad's other scimitar before stabbing forward with his knife. Fassad strafed to the side and slashed again, but Ninten was too quick: He twisted away from his telegraphed attack, putting some distance between them.

Fassad put away his scimitars and quickly tried to power up a PK Thunder Omega, thinking that he couldn't evade them all. However, instead of putting up a shield or distance, Ninten actually closed on Fassad, and moments before he released, he rolled to the side, causing all four blasts of electricity to miss. Fassad couldn't react fast enough to his slash, gaining a cut on his hip, letting out a cry of pain as he tried to defend from his adversary, but Ninten didn't relent. A punch to his jaw knocked him back; a kick to his knee sent him to the ground. Fassad had enough: He simply used PK Fire Alpha to send a forceful message to back off.

"Not bad, boy," Fassad grinned as he used Lifeup Alpha to heal his wounds as he redrew his scimitars. "But let's see if that lasts."

This time when he charged, he circled around and slashed for Ninten's right arm. Ninten wasn't quick enough this time, and growled as he felt the cut, attempting a backhand to level him, but Fassad ducked and slammed a foot into Ninten's gut. Ninten grunted as he stumbled back several steps. Ninten swung his Giant Knife, holding off both of Fassad's scimitars and launched a glob of spit that landed directly in Fassad's eye. Fassad cried out and this brief lapse allowed Ninten to not only disarm Fassad but also pin him to the ground. But Fassad blasted him with a PK Thunder Alpha to knock him away before he could do anything.

The teen decided to use Defense Up to improve his durability, followed by Offense Up to improve his power. Fassad grimaced. He knew that the odds were against him now, and this boy was somehow proving to be superior to him in close combat, evidenced by the loss of his weapons. But what about at a distance?

Fassad charged up a PK Freeze Gamma. In only one second, he let it loose on Ninten. But the teen did not simply sit around idle waiting for his imminent doom. No, he instead deployed a PK PowerShield around him. PowerShield is a technique that can reflect any kind of incoming attack; even PSI. As a result, Fassad was the one who had the icy snowflake collide with him.

Needless to say, Fassad was pissed off now. He was about ready to unleash his special technique, but had to scoot to the side to avoid a PK Beam Gamma that Ninten launched. That gave him an idea.

He whipped out a small futuristic-looking gun and began to aim it. _'He should know a regular attack can't get through PowerShield,'_ Ninten thought. _'Unless either he's too dumb to realize it or he's up to something, and I don't think its stupidity.'_ However, Fassad fired it earlier than he anticipated. This left him no time to dodge the beam heading his way.

Ninten's suspicion was proven correct as it passed through his shield without affecting it at all, and as it made contact, it seemed as though his chest wanted to break into two. That was how much pain he was going through as a result of the beam. He managed to bite back a scream, but bit his bottom lip so hard that it started to bleed. Then, it was over. Ninten was on his knees, panting.

"W-What was that?" Ninten muttered to himself in shock.

"If you expect me to explained the effects boy, you're sadly mistaken," Fassad sneered.

Ninten growled as he got up onto his feet, preparing a PK Beam Gamma.

But he couldn't.

Ninten frowned as he tried again, and again. It wasn't working. Quickly, he attempted a Lifeup Gamma. That didn't work either. Finally, he tried another PowerShield, which also failed. _'What's this? This never happened before!'_ Ninten thought in a panic. _'Nothing except PSI Block can take away PSI moves; wait! The pain...Is it possible that he took away a part of my PSI Core?'_ He became certain that was what happened, but why wasn't he dead? Maybe it had to do something with the technology of his weapon.

But he couldn't have taken it all; he doubted that even with science he wouldn't be killed without even a fragment of the core. Regardless, he was a sitting duck at long range as Fassad tried to blast him with a PK Thunder Beta. His only option was to raise his Giant Knife to try to block it, but it didn't do any good. After enduring electrocution for several seconds, he was on one knee as he breathed heavily.

"Your time is up, boy!" Fassad cackled. With that, he began charging up a PK Starstorm Omega.

Ninten's eyes widened as he comprehended what situation he was in. Instantly, his mind began working on ways to get out of this: He could not run fast enough to get away, PowerShield was disabled and even if Shield Alpha worked, it couldn't stop all the damage, he couldn't close fast enough to attack, and Beam Gamma was gone. That left only 4th D-Slip, if it even worked.

Praying that it would work, Ninten cast his signature move just as the stars were let loose.

Fassad grinned at each explosion, knowing that he had won the battle. Sure enough, Ninten was gone, vaporized Fassad assumed. But his grin turned into a frown. The Princess had escaped despite his victory, and that meant more than all the losses the Royal Family's troops suffered today. It was a strategic victory for them, but Fassad vowed it would only be temporary.

However, unknown to him as he retrieved his scimitars, a flash of light flared at the end of the tunnel. Emerging from that was Ninten. He took a glance at his Giant Knife. He frowned, since a crack was running up the middle. He would have to avoid using it until he could get it repaired, lest it break. But he was alive, and the Pigmasks have just made a dangerous enemy.

* * *

Without even a spiteful snort, the Masked Man pulled his sword out from his fallen adversary. That Captain was good, good enough to damage his cannon arm; it will need repairs. But he fell all the same, no matter how valiant he was in battle. The Captain was weak, and he was stronger: just a part of the natural order of things.

"Well done, my pet," the same voice said from the Masked Man's earpiece used for communication. "You have once again exceeded expectations in your duty. But now is not the time to bask in our victory; we must lay claim to the castle itself. Lead our soldiers in securing it and initiate Phase Two.

The Masked Man mutely nodded and flew toward the front lines. There weren't many guards left, but the ones that were still fighting were holding up their advance with only a makeshift barricade and whatever weapons they could acquire.

It took the Masked Man only a wave of his sword and a burst of PSI Energy for his PK Thunder Omega to tear it apart and kill most of the remaining opposition.

With that complete, the Pigmasks flooded toward the wrecked final line of defense, slaughtering the remaining forces in their way. At last, the echoes of battle halted. Now, the Pigmasks have won, though with heavy causalities. They'll have to count, but the Masked Man was sure this would be enough to secure the castle. If they really had to, they could call in Chimeras even though they were supposed to be a secret weapon.

The Masked Man summoned the Colonel in charge of the attacking unit, a Major, two Captains, and four rank-and-file Pigmasks to march on the throne room. The only people left in the castle were the occasional servant, whom often ducked back into their room when they saw the conquerors marching toward them.

But as they approached the hall with the throne room, a painting swung out and Fassad stumbled out. The Masked Man saw his clothes were dirtied, torn at the hip, and was bloodied around that area, but he figured he himself looked worse.

Fassad didn't seem to notice or care about this fact, and joined their march to the end of the hall. However, as soon as the door flew open, the Masked Man's damaged arm cannon blocked an overhead sword strike. It had the end result of becoming even more damaged than before, but that was better that than losing his head.

The Masked Man simply punched the King in the gut and he stumbled back. The next second, two regular Pigmasks were upon him, one per each arm. The other two had just seized the queen and were dragging her toward their commanders.

"Yes, yes, very good," Fassad grinned. "Now, do you four know what they Royal Family does to criminals?"

"Oh, I know!" one called out. "The Royal Family throws a banquet for them."

Fassad facepalmed at his ignorance. "Idiot, they throw them into the dungeons!" he snapped. "So if your puny brains can process this, give them the same fate as they do to the so-called criminals!"

"You dare accuse us of crimes?" the King growled. "For what offenses are we chained to walls for?"

Fassad grinned. "For dooming humanity to a slow death with your current system," he said. Before the King could reply, a single punch from one of the Pigmask Captains silenced him before he could even speak, and without further resistance, both Polestars were dragged away unceremoniously, escorted by the Captains.

Fassad faced the throne, grin widening. "Finally, we have claimed this for the _true_ King. Now, initiate phase two of the plan. Once that is completed, we'll march to the closest city; Ellay!"

This proclamation was met with wild cheers from the remaining officers, knowing that the steps to unification are being taken, and so would the revival of humanity's glory days...

...Except for the Masked Man. He simply stared ahead. It was almost time to initiate Phase Three...

* * *

 _Legends have been passed down through generations that detail how psychic powers came into existence on Planet Earth._

 _Most of the legends claim that it was started before humans built Mesopotamia; the first known civilization on Earth. However, it was likely that their powers were weak, and were of little use in surviving in the wilderness of Africa._

 _As the centuries passed, little by little their powers have increased drastically. By the time of Julius Caesar, psychics often were able to lend greater powers in pursuits ranging from military action to farming. However, people grew wary of these, and often times psychics were seized and killed without even a trial or defense._

 _After the fall of Rome and entry into the Middle Ages, psychic powers were on the decline; most psychics no longer used their powers as they once did, mainly out of fear of execution. Therefore the overall rate of executions over psychic powers became rarer and rarer to witness._

 _It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution that psychics became more common. By the end of the Nineteenth Century, most executions over psychic powers had stopped, and once again psychics began to emerge, though as they did so the prejudice against them emerged again._

 _In both World Wars psychics fought, whether for the Allies or Central Powers, the Grand Alliance or Axis Powers. In the subsequent Cold War psychics served in various professions around the globe, hoping to beat out their communist or capitalist rivals in science, education, military might, and overall happiness. However, the early Twentieth Century was when everything changed._

 _In a series of brutal wars against aliens that became known as the PSI Wars, humanity finally developed their first real PSI users and these gifted (or cursed) individuals were the most decisive factor in humanity's survival, though on its last legs. In the wars, most countries had disintegrated; their rural towns leaving no trace of existence and entire cities leveled: It was destruction that exceeded all the previous wars of humanity combined._

 _However, eighty years after all this happened, several city-states have banded together into loose Confederations as they tried to reestablish connections over the land (global is out the question right now), but it will take a long time. Unifying them even further will likely take wars, wars that everybody knows that they cannot afford. As such, peace has reigned for the years after the wars, and it looks as though it has come to stay._

* * *

 **AN: So how was it? Future chapters…I'm not sure in length. But several will have a good amount of action; at least I'll try to write good action scenes. I'll probably have to rewrite the majority of it by the time I'm finished. Several emotional/character development scenes will still be there, in between battles. Also, I will be including footnotes just below here in every chapter just to define some terms so that more information can be given about things I don't have time to really go over or simply fun facts. The footnotes were pretty much taken from The Fighting Irishman's Legend of Zelda fanfic: And So We Fight. I recommend checking it out sometime if you don't mind spoilers for Hyrule Warriors: It's really good, and is far more than just a simple novelization. I hope to get out chapters every week to two weeks.**

 **Anyway, that's all I have to really say for now. Have a good day!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _PSI: The pinnacle of all known psychic powers, given that elemental attacks, lasers, and shields are commonplace among them. However, it has limited endurance and other drawbacks which make PSI users targets of prejudice out of simple fear. However, a number of them hold integrity and honor above all else, and will take up their sword against those that wish harm on others. The use of this power properly often takes practice. To use it to its full potential requires years of training and experience from a young age._

 _Also worthy of mention is that saying the name of their attack boosts their power and control, but it is possible to do it without saying it out loud, which gives the advantage of the element of surprise._

 _The Confederation of Eagleland: This loose nation is comprised of what remains of North America, which would be the western part; they are ruled by the Polestar Royal Family, though since it's a Confederation, they have very little central authority despite the monarchy. Several major centers include: San Francisco, Ellay (formerly Los Angeles), Seattle, Salt Lake City, Vancouver, and Mexico City. Though the Royal Family is just a figurehead: The individual cities make all the decisions, making it difficult to coordinate them all. This causes great frustration at the castle._

 _PSI Core: The area in which the PSI in a user is concentrated. It is typically around the heart to give it extra protection. It serves not only as a reservoir of PSI energy, but it also contains the knowledge which is subconsciously drawn upon for techniques. If damaged or destroyed, the results will be catastrophic to the user, given the sheer amount of energy concentrated there, if they're not dead already, though Fassad's new weapon seems to be an exception to that rule._


	2. Prologue II: Outcast

**Update: 10/17/15: Moved the spiel at the beginning to the end of the chapter, and replaced an entry in the Encyclopedia with an entry on the Royal Guard.**

 **AN: Hi everyone, I hope you're all having a great weekend so far! Other than that, this chapter won't have any sort of action in this, but this introduces one of the main characters and serves as character development. At least I got one review, though I was hoping for more, as well as quotable moments. Well, I still am happy about the one review.**

 **Review Responses Section**

 **Guest: Thanks, glad you like it, it means a lot to me. And don't worry, I'm not planning on abandoning this anytime soon. It just takes a week or two to produce these chapters and edit them, but if I do, you'll know.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot and OCs.**

* * *

Even though it was one week after the coup, the news of what happened at the castle was unknown to the majority of people. Even the larger cities only managed to deduce what happened due to the lack of response from Castle Town on the assault on Ellay. Communications were easily cut prior to the Pigmask assault, and communications outside small towns were unreliable at best, nonexistent at worst. Of course, news in small towns spread fast due to the strong community, but often can be distorted by relying solely on memory.

Lucas didn't participate in those conversations; years ago he was young, naive, and shy. Now, he distanced himself from the village. His father was in the mountains for most of the day, often getting drunk on the way back, and his mother and brother were-

Lucas shook his head, willing himself not to think of that event. It was horrifying enough to deal with it in the moment, but to live with it later on was torture. But even so, the mental images ran through his mind: Running through the forest, his mother's piercing shriek as they drifted out of night, his father's rampage, Claus's vengeful mask before he departed for the mountains.

Even his grandfather called him a fool for letting Claus go after that Mecha-Drago on his own. He later apologized, saying that he didn't mean it, but Lucas knew he was half-right: He was a fool, but he was a fool for so many other things beyond that: he was a fool for panicking when he heard that roar, he was a fool for not helping Mom escape the Mecha-Drago, he was a fool for not going back for her, he was a fool for not stopping Claus's revenge plan, and he was not a fool for having any sort of backbone. Oh yeah, he was a fool for being so damn emotional all the time when he was younger.

He probably would've called himself a fool for letting his Dad keep going into the mountains in a futile search for his brother, but gazing upon the boy on his bed dissuaded him at the moment.

"I found him unconscious, in one of the clearings close to the mountains," his Dad told him earlier. "He looked pretty beat up, so I used whatever I had as a temporary treatment. Though that blade he carried on his back...I've never seen anything like that," he mumbled as he gazed upon the sheath for the blade in question (which was almost as long as the boy in question, and pretty wide).

He took off for the mountains again not long after that intermission, and probably would get back later to make up for lost time. Lucas sighed; he was so reckless sometimes. But perhaps it was because of this quality among denial that this boy's life might be saved. The villagers hardly went deep into the forest anymore after his mother's death and often stayed inside due to the new 'Happy Boxes' spread by some wandering traveler that came in the company of several pig-men. He was one of the few who didn't subscribe to that, despite the overall positive reception. It just seemed to blare out propaganda day in and day out.

He wondered what caused this boy to sustain his wounds. Was it the Mecha-Drago that tore his family apart? Or was it another creature similar to that? At least he was safe now; Lucas would ensure of that with his life if need be. He will not turn out like his mother and Claus.

But now he had to go and feed Boney. It would do no good to have an irritable dog on his hands when he had someone else to take care of. And since recently he somehow was able to understand him, he was in no mood for his attitude. That being said, he could use a small meal himself...

* * *

Ninten groaned as his brain registered soreness, not to mention the fact that his head was spinning. It felt like the first few days of training all over again, except worse. He managed to crack his eyes open, though he closed them again with another groan. However, the next time he tried it, he was able to keep them open.

He found a wooden ceiling right above him, just an average wooden ceiling. He managed to push himself up to look around the room. Besides a few beds and dressers, there wasn't really a whole lot...well, there was a mirror, but he wasn't one to care for fashion as long as he wasn't horrible looking.

 _'What happened?'_ he briefly wondered. But a look of realization quickly crossed his face as his thoughts returned. _'Oh yeah, I was ambushed, and badly wounded. Guess I'm lucky that whoever lives in this house took care of me,'_ he mused as he gazed upon his bandaged hands.

Slinging his legs over the side and carefully standing up, Ninten realized he wasn't wearing his old clothes. Due to laws passed shortly after the foundation of the Confederation, PSI users in the military would have to wear casual clothing on top instead of the average military uniform so that they can be identified (it wasn't the Royal Family who passed this; in fact it was by their protest that they gave PSI users permission to wear more light armor than before), which Ninten saw more as painting a bull's-eye on your back, but he had to follow the rules too.

As such, his red, white, and blue stripped t-shirt was replaced by one that was yellow and orange stripped, and even though he could tell the shorts were different, they were the same navy blue as his old pair was.

In fact, there were his old clothes; with numerous cuts and pieces of fabric torn off. They were no longer usable in their state. But for some reason, his red baseball cap, bandanna, and brown leather gauntlets made it through without a scratch. He glanced at his Giant Knife's sheath against the wall and frowned. Despite the fact that it was inanimate and not actually alive, he was saddened to see it no longer operable. With the crack, chances are it will break before long, and if he was lucky he could get it repaired soon.

At least he still had 4th-D Slip, Shield Alpha, Defense Up Alpha, and Healing Alpha to work with, though he would prefer having Lifeup as well. At least it was better than nothing.

 _'I should probably find out where I am first, unless I want to blind myself,'_ Ninten concluded. He spotted the stairs on the other side of the room and proceeded to carefully step down them.

Evidently, someone must have heard because he heard quick footsteps while he was only halfway down them. After clearing the rest, he noticed a blonde boy walking towards him. For some reason, there was some sort of feeling that was nagging at him, but he couldn't recognize it.

"Oh, you're up," the boy commented. "Are you feeling alright?"

"No," he replied. "My ankle is shattered, my arm is dislocated, and my head is upside down. I am definitely not okay."

"You know you could just say so..."

"Sorry, I am renowned for my sarcasm from where I come from."

"You certainly looked in bad shape," the boy said. "I had to bandage you up when Dad brought you in; you were bleeding from several locations."

"That bad, huh?"

"...You still don't sound very concerned."

"Believe me; I've been through worse; a _lot_ worse."

"Okay then, I'll take your word for it," the boy conceded.

"So what's your name?" Ninten asked.

"I'm Lucas," the boy replied. "And what's yours?"

"Ninten," the teen answered. "By the way, I must thank you for looking after me while I was out."

"Oh, it's no problem," Lucas brushed away his thanks. "It was no big deal."

"No really, I would much prefer waking up bandaged than in a pool of blood, even though I can take care of myself."

Lucas snorted at his remark. "Well, if you're hungry, I have some leftovers from lunch for you to eat."

"Yes please," Ninten said. Lucas gestured to some food on the table. Upon catching sight of a certain item however, Ninten paled. "Blueberries?" he gaped.

"Yeah," Lucas replied. "What's wrong? You don't like blueberries?"

Ninten nearly gagged. "I hate blueberries. When I eat them, I feel like I'm about to throw up when I swallow one. I'm not exactly sure why, though."

"Okay, you don't have to eat the blueberries," Lucas replied. "I'll eat them myself, and you'll have the rest of the food there."

Ninten sighed in relief. "Thank you." With that, he and Lucas sat down and either began to eat or finish off their meal.

As Ninten chewed on some corn, Lucas asked, "Hey Ninten? Why were you injured in the first place?"

Ninten scowled. "I ran across a patrol of some rebels trying to hunt me down. I managed to take them down, but not before I was injured," he replied, carefully choosing his words.

However, Lucas's eyes narrowed. Ninten realized that he must suspect something. "Why were they after you in the first place?"

"They were after me because-Wait, have you heard about what recently happened?" Ninten said in utter disbelief.

"Wait, what happened?" Lucas questioned.

"You haven't heard?" Ninten gaped, but quickly regained his composure. "I'm sorry, I forgot that communication is not reliable nowadays. What happened was...The monarchy was overthrown in a coup."

"A what?" Lucas asked, apparently ignorant of the definition of the word he used.

"A coup," Ninten answered. "It's a quick and sudden seizure of power. In other words; they have been driven out of power."

Lucas gasped. Ninten knew it was a big shock for everyone. Heck, he himself still couldn't believe what happened.

"Why?" he asked, and was alarmed that his voice was practically a squeak.

"The rebels believed that our current form of government will only continue humanity's mistakes, and they intend to replace it with one of their own; a King that has absolute power. He has the power to create laws on a whim or prosecute people because they got on his nerves yesterday. And he wants to unify the various city-states via war."

"What?"

"I know it's a lot to process, but that's what happened," Ninten said, both boys having lost their appetites at this point. "We cannot handle another war like the one they envision right now; it would doom humanity, or at the very least set it back decades."

"So what do we do?"

"I'm trying to get help so that we can overthrow this usurper as quickly as possible, with as little bloodshed as possible. However, I'm worried that my actions might lead to the very war I'm trying to prevent, but it's either possible war or certain war."

"I'll help," Lucas volunteered, standing up.

"I can't let you," Ninen growled. "I can tell you don't have any real combat experience or training. A real battle cannot be described until you participate in one; I eventually learned how to cope, but you have not. And if you leave with me we'll wind up in a lot. The last thing we need is for you to get yourself killed while distracted by your actions."

"You can train me," Lucas retorted, feeling offended by Ninten's bluntness.

"I don't have time; I have to keep moving."

"You have to rest for some time before you can continue," Lucas pointed out. "Besides, they're probably on the lookout for you, so you need to lay low for a bit."

Ninten thought this through for a moment. On one hand, there was no way he could come with him; he didn't have a good excuse for risking his life, and with him untrained he would prove more of a liability than an asset, no offense to him.

On the other hand, a brief training exercise couldn't hurt: It would definitely help him resist any possible abductors like those going around now. And he finally identified what that nagging feeling was; he was sensing PSI energy from this boy. This boy from the middle of nowhere; was it really possible?

Apparently it was, since he was right in front of him.

Ninten decided to compromise. "Okay, I'll train you for a few days," Ninten said. "But I need more time to decide whether or not I'll bring you along."

"Okay," Lucas said, happy he got his point across.

* * *

Before that day three years ago, he was regarded as the town wimp, the shadow to the polar opposite Claus. People always praised Claus, and tended to ignore him, except his closest friends and family members.

Now, they regarded him with pity. Pity for what tragedy had befallen him and his family. But he didn't need their pity: He just wanted someone who sympathized with him. No one in Tazmily history had suffered such a death like that that he knew; there were ones who fell from illness, sure, but at least they had time to bid farewell. Mom couldn't even do more than an agonized scream in her last moments.

The cowardly, wimpy boy from three years was gone. His only two friends noticed his change, but weren't sure what to make of it. Duster had tried his best to adapt, but Fuel still tried to treat him like he was the old Lucas, resulting in their friendship becoming strained. People kept asking if he needed help, if he wanted this, or if he desired that...He was on his own for three years! He should be fine.

Yet Ninten...he was different. He didn't know, but for some reason, he was opening up against his will. Heck, his sarcasm made him chuckle on more than one occasion; that was an accomplishment. That look in his eye...It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, but for some reason, Lucas respected him almost instantly.

That was probably why he was currently asking about him, as the duo plus Boney, Lucas's dog, were walking through town square to give Ninten a little tour, and do something else along the way, something that Lucas didn't think he would do with a stranger. They were headed north, since Lucas already described what was in the east and west.

"So what do you like to do?" Lucas asked.

"Personally, I like to read, be with my friend, and play baseball," Ninten answered. "What do you like to do?"

"Nothing much, just give attention to Boney, walk around in Sunshine Forest, and relax on the cliff...When no one is there," Lucas elaborated.

"The cliff sounds really nice," Ninten said.

Lucas nodded his agreement. "It is. I was planning on showing it to you, but only a few other people than myself actually go there, and the breeze is really nice, and the sight of the sea is majestic."

"I think I would really like it there."

"So what do you do typically?"

"I serve in the Royal Guard as the personal bodyguard of the Princess herself."

"What? No way!" Lucas gasped.

"Yes way," Ninten responded.

"But...How...You're not even eighteen!"

Ninten scowled. "I was a...special case. I'm fifteen by the way."

Lucas wisely decided to back off from the topic. Despite his declining social skills, he could still tell when something was best left alone.

 _"That's a lot more exciting than what we do at least,"_ Boney barked. _"All we do is eat, herd the animals, eat some more, sleep, eat some more, play, sleep again, and then repeat."_

"You mean that's what _you_ do?" Lucas deadpanned.

 _"Isn't that what you do too?"_

"No, I get up, I get dressed, I feed you, I eat, I help you herd the animals, I do whatever I want, I feed you, I eat, I do whatever I want again, I feed you again, I eat, I play with you, I get ready to turn in, then repeat."

"Looks like he got you beat, doggie," Ninten commented.

 _"That's Boney to you!"_

Ninten turned to Lucas. "Your dog has more attitude than the Princess on a bad hair day," he commented.

 _"Excuse me?"_

"Really? The Princess is like Boney when her hair is messy?" he gaped.

Ninten smiled slightly. "Yeah," he replied. "Regardless of birth, at the end of the day she is like us; only human. I imagine you two have a lot in common that you don't realize." He frowned. "Still, I can't help but worry...I know she's resourceful, but she's also inexperienced. I just have to hope she's okay."

"I hope so too," Lucas sighed. But then he stopped. "Why don't you go explore? I have something to take care of right now."

"Okay..." Ninten trailed off, knowing something was up but unwilling to pry. He just decided to head west, toward that cliff Lucas talked about.

When he was out of sight, Lucas sighed and continued up the hill with Boney. There on the top was the grave of his mother.

* * *

"What do you mean you won't let me train now? I feel just fine!"

Lucas sighed. "Ninten, you only woke up less than five hours ago, and you were knocked out due to injuries," he pointed out. Ninten obviously intended to start training him ASAP, but Lucas argued that Ninten needed more rest.

"Come on! These are just scratches!" Ninten scoffed.

"Why do they need bandages then?"

"...Touche," Ninten conceded. "But we need to start it as soon as possible. They'll be stupid to wait for long for their next move, whatever it may be."

"I know you're worried about the Pigmasks, but they won't attack the day that you arrived here, I'm sure."

"Have you heard of the recent abductions?"

"What?" Lucas asked, confused.

"Lately, people have been abducted from all the city states, and in many small towns, which men matching the description of a Pigmask would drag away the victim, and I've heard accounts of them tearing down buildings or burning towns to the ground in their search efforts. The main targets seem to be teenagers, around our ages. They also are PSI users."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Because...You yourself are at risk," he told Lucas gravely.

"What? But...why?" he gasped. "I can't use PSI! Why would I be in danger of abduction over powers that are nonexistent in me?"

"That is where you are wrong," Ninten told him. "You _do_ have PSI: It's just dormant. I could tell because I could sense power, and you talking with your dog confirmed it."

"But why haven't I been able to learn anything then?" Lucas asked.

"PSI is typically awakened sometime between ten and fifteen. It is not uncommon for people your age to not have PSI yet. However, I posses the necessary means to awakening it: I just need your permission."

"Of course, but-"

"I'm not finished," Ninten cut in. "While I can awaken it, I must warn you that PSI is more than just a simple power; it's a weapon, an asset at times, but a liability the rest. As soon as you become a confirmed user, people will become prejudiced. The governments would want to use you to their own advantage while average citizens will be terrified of you, or judge you because of your powers. People forget that it is not PSI, but the person who uses it is the one who is the threat. Many laws have passed that predate the Confederation setting rules and restrictions on PSI users.

"What I'm saying is that you must think carefully about this; once you get it, you'll have it for life. It can never be taken away from you, but the prejudice will follow you everywhere. I am not saying this to dissuade you; I'm saying this to _warn_ you of the dangers you _will_ face when your PSI awakens, and of the responsibility you face upon its awakening. Do you want to get it over with, or do you want some more freedom before it does?" Ninten stood up. "I won't ask for an answer now; you need more time to think about this. I'll be upstairs to meditate for a bit if that's okay with you."

"That's fine, go ahead."

Ninten nodded in acknowledgement before he turned to head upstairs.

Lucas sighed. This was a lot of new information to take in. He never realized how tough PSI users had it; they didn't have a choice in whether or not they have it, and yet they become prejudiced. But he'll get it eventually, right? Mind as well train in the arts while he could and then be able to help Ninten as much as he could. Afterward...he'll figure it out.

* * *

Fassad knelt before the monitor, bowing in reverence. "Oh high lord and master, how may I be of service?"

 _"I want a report on how well things are going,"_ the 'master' spoke, before entering a coughing fit.

"Progress is on schedule; the barrier will be ready to deploy within days, despite the fact that Castle Town has some dissidents that won't go home. I will try diplomacy, but if that falls through I'll terrify them into obedience. Our soldiers have isolated the city of Ellay, though we did let a few escape to spread the word, as per your instructions."

 _"Excellent,"_ the master wheezed. _"Once they hear of what is happening, the other cities will rush to the rescue...and then we'll crush their armies in our trap! They'll capitulate to my demands after they see their armies_ disintegrate." He disintegrated into another coughing fit briefly, before continuing. _"Is my pet in position to spring it?"_

"Oh yes," Fassad chuckled. "Though if we do find more than one PSI user in different locations, can he be delegated to that duty for a bit?"

 _"As long as the Confederation's forces are not on my army's doorstep or he dies, I care not what he does."_

"Very well, I'll move our scouts further out to detect incoming armies."

 _"Do not fail me, Fassad,"_ the master warned.

"Of course not, your majesty," Fassad said.

With that, the transmission was cut, and Fassad stood up. He had business to take care of: Business that he could not entrust the incompetent grunts that made up the army to do.

However, he and his master were not aware of an eavesdropper, who had some doubts. She wasn't entirely sure that end result of the trap would be what they hoped. The Confederation could mobilize more than one army, so the loss of one won't cow them into obedience so quickly. She wondered if they were really as intelligent as they believed themselves to be.

* * *

 _The origin of the PSI Wars is widely debated to this day. But most historians can agree that it was set in motion when a young couple discovered an alien infant lying on their porch step. They did not know how this alien got there, but they took him in regardless, and raised him as if he were their own child. The alien was highly intelligent despite its young age, given that he remembered his name was Giegue. He loved his adopted parents, and they too. For about a decade, they lived in happiness, though Giegue was not allowed outside often except night because people would freak out._

 _However, one day the aliens came for the child, who was the descendant of their most decorated commanders. The couple willingly gave Giegue to the care of the aliens, and with a tearful goodbye, and neither would lay eyes upon each other for five decades._

 _Over the next decades, Giegue grew, trained, and quickly became one of their most feared and respected commanders. However, he was tragically manipulated by his kin to believe humans were evil and wished to exterminate his kind, despite the couple's willingness to raise him. He was ordered to exterminate all evidence of humanity, and thus led a force of one million troops (infantry to pilots, mechs to spaceships, Starmen to Mooks), and landed on the fiftieth anniversary of his initial arrival to Earth._

* * *

 **AN: Well, that's the second part of the prologue. I am very happy with how this chapter turned out after I rewrote it real briefly, better than the first prologue in my opinion. No action scenes here; just character development and introducing Lucas as well as the unknown eavesdropper (only a brief cameo: We'll meet her later). I originally intended to put another scene in, but I felt that it would be best left for another chapter.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and have a good day.**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _Castle Town: A town that was constructed around the Confederacy of Eagleland's castle so that it wouldn't be in the middle of nowhere. It is mostly made out of stone and some wood, but serves as the capital of the Confederacy, despite its name being completely unoriginal._

 _Drago: Typically, Dragos are quite peaceful creatures despite their dinosaur-like appearances. For an unknown reason, they were discovered shortly after the PSI Wars, inhabiting mountainous regions. As a pastime, children like to bash into them to try and knock them down. Scientists debate on their intelligence since they like to fall down after a one second delay. Several think they find amusement in watching children attempt to topple them._

 _Mecha-Drago: A kind of Drago that only came into existence during the past five years. The cause of this half machine beast is unknown, but despite their rarity, they are far more hostile than Dragos. Unlike other Dragos who travel in packs, these are nomadic lone wolves, meaning they can be found anywhere, though outside of mountains they are traveling. To date, no one has killed a Mecha-Drago my conventional means. **No one.**_

 _Tazmily Village: A small, remote village somewhere in former southern California. To the north lies mountains, the left a forest, the right several rivers, and the south ocean. It's no wonder they are so isolated with that geography. Yet despite this, they continue to survive and be themselves, and weary travelers are often amazed at their community despite their…primitive technology. Though the Pigmasks marched through there recently and distributed Happy Boxes that run on the Pigmask Network since all the satellites were destroyed during the war._

 _Royal Guard: A select number of individuals who personally serve the Royal Family. They are among the most powerful and skilled soldiers that their army can boast. It is a prestigious honor to be elected to be one of them, but only a few mishaps and you're out. It's that strict._


	3. Prologue III: Dark Times

**Hey everybody, welcome back to the story, and the final part of the prologue! I've fixed minor errors in the first two prologues, and added one entry to the encyclopedia about the Royal Guard in Prologue II, so if you want to check it out, feel free to. Also, I've moved the initial spiel at the beginning about the war to the bottom following one of my reviewer's advice and its extreme length. I misjudged how long it was gonna be, otherwise I would have spread it out more. Still, I'm not sure how this compares to the others...Even with rewriting scenes several times I could only be satisfied, not proud. Anyway, enough of my rambling: Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fic outside OCs and the plot.**

* * *

 **Review Responses**

 **Guest: Thanks for the compliment, but the credit for the idea of the Encyclopedia really goes to the user The Fighting Irishman. Don't worry, more will come soon, and I hope I'll at least keep the quality, if not improve it.**

 **alpha1026: Thanks for the compliment, though there are other fanfics better than this currently ongoing (which are the ones who inspired me to take up my pen, er...keyboard and in some cases touchscreen). I do like to plan everything beforehand, so that might be why.**

 **Connor the speling pro: I've addressed your review in PM already, but I just want to thank you again for the feedback.**

* * *

The door to Lucas's house creaked open slowly and Ninten exited the house at only five in the morning. His body clock required him to be up then so that he can train in the mornings, at least before the castle was overrun. Now he had to continue the tradition; just because he was in the middle of nowhere didn't mean he could afford to slack off.

Still, what he could do was...limited at best. Besides being a pile of lazybones when everyone else was one, he could meditate to help focus his powers better, or he could train physically, despite his injuries. Right now, he was craving physical exercise. He wasn't hungry, so he figured he would wait for breakfast, as per his usual habit.

Right now, he was headed toward the cliff that Lucas mentioned only yesterday since it sounded like the ideal place to train. Even though he couldn't use his Giant Knife out of fear of breaking it, he still brought it within its sheath, figuring that he needed the practice with the weight since he would get it repaired as soon as he could, and he wanted to be in shape when he got it back. Plus, with his bandaged wounds, he should take care to avoid overexerting himself.

Boney was fast asleep, and did not even stir when Ninten walked past. Ninten was kind of grateful, since that dog really liked to needle people for some reason, though he himself wouldn't hesitate to take a few jabs back at Boney.

Ninten gazed up upon the dark sky as he walked towards town square. It was dark, like the world was becoming. For the past week, he could sense the energy around him weakening during his meditations. At first, he thought he was just imagining things. But during one training session, Princess Paula had mentioned she felt it. But by then, it was too late to even investigate; the rebellion was only days away.

Speaking of that, he wondered how the Confederation was faring. Being isolated from the main communication areas in a time like this was inconvenient to say the least, for a Royal Guardsman. But it would do no good worrying; he would set off once his wounds were fully healed and help wherever he can.

Passing through town square and turning left, he soon reached a beach. Personally, Ninten did not really like beaches, mainly because that the sand would fill his shoes and then would mess up the carpeting in the castle, leading to a lecture from one of his superiors on 'making a mess'. Plus, it stuck to his bare feet, which then would create an even bigger mess, which would lead to an even sterner lecture and quite possibly KP duty.

Still, he did like certain types of sushi, as long as they didn't taste too fishy. He'd have to get out fishing one of these days; sounds like something he would enjoy.

Ah, and there it is, the cliff. Ninten examined the landscape and smiled. Not too narrow and it was sturdy enough for some maneuvering. This'll be fun...

* * *

Lucas yawned as his eyes fluttered open, gazing upon the ceiling. He glanced to his side. The clock over there read: 5:30. _'Man, I woke up early today,'_ he mused. He looked over at his father's spot. He was still there, sleeping. But he noticed that the spot right beside him was empty, and Ninten's sheath was gone.

Panicking, he rushed downstairs and looked around. No sign of him. However, he thought of something that might help.

Rushing back upstairs, he grabbed one of the rags that was Ninten's old shirt, and rushed downstairs and burst out of the door.

He dashed over to Boney, crying the dog's name to wake him up.

It worked. " _Ugh, Lucas,"_ Boney whined. _"Why did you get me up so early?"_

"Ninten's gone, and there's no sign of him," Lucas responded.

 _"So? He can take care of himself, even though he's a smartass.'_

"Like _you're_ not one?" Lucas teased.

 _"Shut up. Anyway, you need me to track him?"_

Lucas held out Ninten's shirt. Boney sniffed it for a second.

 _"Okay, I have the scent!"_ he announced. _"Follow me!"_

Boney dashed off as fast as he could, leaving Lucas in the dust. "Hey! Wait for me!" he cried as he chased after his dog. Boney didn't even slow down as he barreled through the path into town square and sped toward the beach. Lucas couldn't help but laugh as he ran. He couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun. In fact, this brought him back to the days when he and Claus used to play chase...around...

Just like that, his joy was squashed underneath his regrets and bitter sadness as thoughts about his inadequacy popped up into his head.

However, it didn't take too long for Boney to reach the cliff, and lo and behold Ninten was there...and apparently sweeping the legs out from under thin air.

Lucas's curious look turned to one of exasperation. Of course he would do physical training the day after Lucas _wouldn't let him._ Lucas coughed to get his attention.

Ninten ceased trying to use his sheath as a weapon and turned toward the duo approaching him. "Hey Lucas, hey Boney, looks like you two are up earlier than everyone else," he greeted.

"And you're doing what I explicitly told you _not to do,"_ Lucas growled.

"You do not understand," Ninten retorted. "Training is of utmost importance in the coming battles; I must keep in top shape, unless I become soft for the enemy to pick on."

"And you'll lengthen the time of your recovery!"

"I didn't do anything too strenuous today; only thirty minutes of training. I'm fine."

Lucas's jaw dropped. "Thirty minutes?!" he gaped.

"My normal sessions are typically an hour to an hour and a half, maybe longer."

Lucas shook his head. "Well, let's head back, but I still need to make sure your wounds were not reopened during that," he said.

"Very well."

As the duo walked back, Lucas's thoughts continued to brood on his failures, and on the recent conversation. _'Was it wrong of me to stop him from any sort of physical activity?'_ he asked himself. _'I was just worried on his injuries, and he provided a good reason...I should have considered that before I snapped at him, idiot.'_

* * *

Shortly after eating, Lucas headed out with Boney, claiming he needed to purchase something at the town's shop. Since Flint had left by the time they returned from Ninten's training fiasco, the teen in question was alone in the house. However, he quickly spotted a book lying on the table, and decided that he mind as well read it.

It was about a thirteen year old kid named Ness. One night, a meteor fell from the skies and he went to investigate. Turns out, it was the transport of some sort of insect named Buzz Buzz, who informed Ness that Giygas, the Universal Cosmic Destroyer, was going to destroy the world. In order to stop him, he had to gather eight 'melodies' with something known as the Sound Stone and then unlock his true power with it.

His sarcastic mood back, he couldn't refrain but make several remarks (in his head) about the absurdness of the book. However, he had to admit it was superbly written and the strange humor was oddly attractive. It wasn't long before he was hooked into the fantasy novel.

In fact, he was so into it, he wouldn't have noticed Lucas come in if he wasn't so disciplined. "Hi Lucas," he greeted.

"Hey Ninten," Lucas said. "I...wanted to apologize for what happened earlier, and I figured I'd get you something."

Ninten raised an eyebrow. "To apologize you only have to say, 'I'm sorry' and genuinely mean it. You don't have to shower people with gifts and beg for forgiveness."

Ninten instantly regretted his words as Lucas looked down in shame. "I'm not saying that I don't appreciate the gift; I'm just saying for future reference you don't have to get me something to earn my forgiveness."

Lucas flashed a small smile. "Okay," he said as he held out the item in question.

"A baseball bat?" Ninten questioned as he took it and examined it. It was beautifully crafted, with smooth wood and not even a crack or uneven spot that he could tell. "Thank you Lucas, this bat is quite nice. How much did you have to pay for it?"

"About one hundred DP," Lucas answered.

"DP? That's your currency system?" Ninten asked.

"I thought all outsiders used DP?" Lucas trailed off.

"No, but each city-state has its own currency, but nothing like DP," Ninten explained. "Also, before I forget, do you want to train soon?"

"Yes, after you get some rest," Lucas told Ninten.

"And how long should I rest for? One second?"

Lucas scoffed. "No, we should wait an hour. That'll give more time for the sun to come out so we can navigate through Sunshine Forest to a spot I found that I think would be good for that purpose."

"I can agree to that."

* * *

Strolling down a trail in the forest, Ninten immersed himself in the wildlife. Back at the castle, he rarely ever got to see any wildlife; the closest being the Royal Gardens. Paula had expressed numerous times about her desire to see the wilderness, but she never could.

Before the coup, Ninten went out into forests a few times, only for learning survival skills and honing them. They certainly came in handy when he was forced to flee, and he hoped that Paula employed the techniques he passed onto her.

Before long, they had reached a clearing. It was perfect; it was deep within the forest, isolated from the villagers, but there were no hostile creatures that lurked here.

Ninten cleared his throat as he turned toward Lucas. "Alright, so do you know what the first rule of a fight is?" Ninten asked.

"Umm...No," Lucas sighed after a moment of thought.

"The first rule of a fight is...there is no first rule."

"What?"

"In a fight, trying to establish rules and regulations is like trying to stop husband and wife from arguing; it's impossible. Now of course, use some common sense: You can't take off any limbs just because some idiot shoved you.

"Now, our first order of business is knowing how to punch. A punch is the most basic of all offensive fighting techniques, and thus is a technique that requires the right application. Now, punch me."

"Wait, what if you get hurt?" Lucas asked.

"If I do, then you have punched correctly," Ninten told him. "Now do it!"

Lucas wound up a punch, and threw it. Ninten simply used one of his arms to push it away.

"Now that is why even the most basic techniques need time to perfect," Ninten said. "Trading speed for power is something you _must_ avoid in a fight, lest you render yourself vulnerable like this." He gestured to their current positions. "There are so many different things I can do to you from here; a punch, a grab, a sweep, a kick...the possibilities are limitless. Do _not_ punch like that unless your opponent is vulnerable or you have a death wish.

"What you should do for a punch is to throw it more or less straight without a windup. Sure it isn't as powerful, but it's a heck of a lot quicker and harder to block." Ninten demonstrated the punch for Lucas, and sure enough, it flew straight. "Now, try it again."

* * *

"Fair citizens of Castle Town, please let us be reasonable in discussion," Fassad pleaded, on a hovercraft above an angry mob gathered in the center of the town. On the pathway towards the castle, a line of Pigmasks stood, some of them fingering their rifles, no doubt anxious about what might happen. In reality, Fassad didn't care about the citizens: He just wanted them to submit, which they were not. But his king had instructed him on this diplomatic mission, and he must be followed. "Your new lord only wishes to make what remains of us stronger, and the only way is to centralize the government, replacing the weak monarchy that could accomplish nothing."

"So why does this not have much support?" a random protester cried out.

"How can you measure that?" Fassad asked. "For all you know, you could be surrounded by people like me, and you would not know about it."

"That's circular logic!" another challenged. "You don't know if the people on the far side of town like the way things are or not as well!"

"Oh I do," Fassad grinned. "Deep down, everyone has a desire to follow the strong, and we have provided the strong. All that remains is for you all to accept that fact and follow us to unity."

That had the opposite effect of what it intended. "How can you champion war when the last worldwide one brought humanity to its knees! We're hanging on by our fingertips and you want to start another blood feud? Why don't you help us out first before your 'king' acts upon his greed!"

Roars of agreement followed. Fassad again tried to vainly appeal. "Well, I will not deny that there will be sacrifices, but for every one that dies, it was for a great cause-"

That statement turned out to infuriate the crowd as they started to throw whatever they could get their hands on. Rotten tomatoes, shoes, books, everything including the kitchen sink.

"Now now everyone," Fassad said. "There is no need for such hasty violence. All I ask for is for your-" a pie hit him in the face.

Tense silence followed as the pie fell off of Fassad's face, blank from what everyone could see. A few protesters decided to hightail it out of there before things got worse. Fassad calmly whipped out his communicator and simply said, "Kill as many as you need to. This 'protest' ends here."

"Yes sir," the Pigmask on the other end replied.

Almost immediately, the Pigmask line swiveled their rifles around at the crowd, who just realized how much trouble they were in.

And it was too late to run.

Fassad cackled at the sight of the massacre underneath him. Oh how they had it coming for days...They really should've known better than to try to challenge his liege's authority, and they paid the price for their ignorance.

Still, it was hard to hold himself back with all of this chaos all around him. But sullying his blades with the blood of such weaklings was such a bother to clean. His soldiers could take care of them, and thus his skill wouldn't plummet for when he had to face a real challenge.

* * *

Lucas gave one last blow to Ninten during another sparring session, knocking him back. Both stood and panted, their training obviously taking a toll on their endurance.

For the past week, Ninten had relentlessly drilled Lucas on all sorts of basic fighting techniques, trying to get each one at least up to adequate standards. This took hours of each day away from Lucas, training in the arts of defense and attack. Ninten also sparingly gave any sort of compliments, and by the time the training would end, Lucas felt as though he was ready to collapse despite the occasional break. At first, he felt that both duration and lack of encouragement stemmed from the fact that he simply was terrible at it, but as he lay in bed the night before, he realized that the expectations Ninten laid upon him were severely high, if not impossible.

Lucas fully realized at that time that he had no sort of previous experience in things such as this, yet Ninten insisted on his standards, which were far from low. Now that frustration at himself turned into frustration at his new friend, but now was one of those moments that Ninten seemed to be quite pleased given his facial expression and his words.

"You have made tremendous progress over the last several days, Lucas," Ninten began. "You have done very well so far, but now begins the most difficult part of your training."

"My PSI?" Lucas asked.

"Yes," Ninten confirmed. "But first, you must realize how dangerous this will be...One mistake could cost your life. Don't think I'm bluffing; I've actually seen PSI users wind up dead because of their own carelessness and immaturity," he harshly stated. "As such, I will ask for you to follow my instructions very carefully, and not to deviate."

Lucas nodded, though on the inside he was seething. Who was he to demand total obedience on this subject? He had as much right as anyone to question him!

"There are two primary ways to awaken one's PSI Core," Ninten began. "First, we can wait for it to awaken naturally, which could take anywhere from the next moment to years." Crickets chirped. "...The other involves another PSI user jump-starting a core with an infusion of PSI energy. Naturally this is very risky, but I'm afraid this will be a necessity, so bear with me.

"The first step is to meditate, and empty your mind as much as you can. Following that, I will have to enter your mind telepathically, since that is the best place to convey PSI energy to jump start the core. However, I will warn you it will not be a very...comfortable experience, so brace yourself."

"I'm not afraid," Lucas said.

"I hope you're not completely fearless," Ninten muttered as Lucas entered a meditative stance.

Sitting in silence, Lucas concentrated on the sound of his own breathing as well as that of his surroundings. Gradually, his thoughts began to fade as his mind began to clear. Then he felt another presence enter his mind. Assuming it was Ninten, he maintained his meditative position, but what Ninten warned came true.

The PSI energy injected into him felt like it was burning him, to be frank. Fortunately, it did not hang around long enough to cause even more discomfort, instead moving on down the spine towards the heart. It remained there for a second, and then Lucas cried out in pain as he held his chest. It was so sudden, almost like a knife through the heart, except without the cold steel.

However, as quickly as it came, it left. Lucas felt amazed at the new sensation in his body; one of gentle warmth like he was in a hot spring and knew that his PSI had awakened. At last, he could do something to help.

"Well, that went smoothly," Ninten commented. "Hmm...From what I can tell you know PSI Healing; a move that heals things like colds, sunburns, and other minor conditions at lower levels, PSI Lifeup which heals wounds, and PK Love; a move which I am not familiar with."

"Why?"

"I never came across anything like that when I researched PSI," Ninten answered. "It probably is a signature move; several PSI users have them, but given that we don't know anything of it, it would be unwise to try it out before you gain more control over your PSI."

Lucas managed to stifle a small groan, but still looked displeased.

"Anyway, it could be any one of four types of PSI: Offensive, support, healing, or miscellaneous," Ninten deduced. "Offensive is as its name suggests; a projectile attack that can be very deadly at higher levels. Support not only assists your allies, but it can also hinder your enemies' abilities. Healing heals wounds and other conditions, while miscellaneous is the rest like teleportation and telepathy."

"Interesting..." Lucas mumbled.

"Anyway, let's start training by meditating at first. As soon as your mind is clear, then try to focus your energy into your hands and leave it there. Don't try anything just yet."

However, Lucas's eagerness to learn PSI combined with his previous frustrations proved too much for Lucas to obey. He no longer cared that he was inexperienced; he was gonna prove himself to him right here and right now.

He was going to do the exact opposite of what Ninten told him to do and use PK Love.

Once again entering a meditative state, he felt the PSI in his core tingling, like it was waking up. He imagined some of it running into his hands, and as he did he felt some of the tingling work its way up to his chest, into his shoulders, down his arms, and remained in his hands. He couldn't resist a peek, and to his astonishment they were glowing lime green.

Falling back in shock, he lost focus to his chagrin and growled.

"It's quite a scare the first time, but you'll get used to it," Ninten said off to the side.

Lucas bit back a growl as he tried again. This time he did not fall back and therefore the glow remained. Now all that was left to do was to figure out how to use it. He tried to imagine what PK Love would be like, and came up with the mental image of a multitude of hexagons rushing out towards their opponent.

With his eyes open, he witnessed the creation of one such hexagon in the palms of his cupped hands. He gasped a little but managed to keep his cool.

Evidently, Ninten had not as he gasped, "W-What?"

Lucas ignored him as he stood up, and thrust one of his palms with the hexagon in front at the sky. The hexagon rapidly expanded, coming close to the size of Lucas's entire body. As soon as it did, a smaller hexagon shot out, followed by another of a similar size, and another. A multitude of hexagons rushed out from the original and towards the sky. It was quite a spectacle, but Lucas was so focused in his task that he could not observe.

Eventually, the attack ran its course and the original hexagon faded away as the flow of them ground to a halt. Panting heavily, he staggered a little bit, and then fell.

Before he could hit, a pair of arms managed to catch him. But Ninten's current look on his face was not exactly one that Lucas wanted to see, probably because it was a mix of astonishment, concern, and anger.

"Are you all right?" Ninten asked.

"I...I'm fine," Lucas groaned. "It just took...a lot out of me, that's all."

"Then what were you _thinking?"_ Ninten snapped. "That was precisely the reason why I told you to meditate. I specifically _told you_ not to use that technique since _we knew nothing about it!"_

"What gives, Ninten?" Lucas challenged, standing up. "I actually successfully used it, so why aren't you commenting about my deficiencies and strengths?"

"Didn't I tell you I saw PSI users get killed because of their recklessness?" Ninten rebuked, also getting onto his feet. "If your technique got out of control, you could have very well met that same fate, which was why I stressed meditation to learn to control your PSI first!"

"And how is meditation supposed to help?"

"Meditation is supposed to clear the mind to help you focus; this also translates to better control over your PSI. Sure it is possible to do it without training, but the risks are very high."

"Well if that's the case, why have you been pushing me so hard these past several days?" Lucas growled. "You've been so insistent on performing to _your_ standards, despite my inexperience. I could have hurt myself during _your_ training sessions, and did you give a damn about that? _No!"_

Ninten's face darkened slightly as he opened his mouth to reply. "You are going to be in a battle whether you like it or not; especially if you leave here," he growled. "You don't know what it's like to be in the midst of chaos while your life is decided by your instincts."

"That's no excuse to simply be nonchalant about how I felt!" Lucas snapped, shaking in rage. It was no longer fueled merely by his frustration at this point; now it was drawn from the emotions he bottled up for the past three years, unable to find an efficient release save for arguments, and this was the one in which everything poured out int his words, ignorant to the possible consequences of his running mouth. "You're just as bad as the other villagers! You don't care about anyone other than yourself and the people like you! You...You are just as bad as the Pigmasks!

Rage-clouded vision, Lucas panted has he kept his heated gaze on Ninten. To him, it seemed as though Ninten's face was blank. There was no visible emotion present on it. Lucas wanted a fight, he wanted a release for his emotions, yet Ninten wasn't taking the bait.

Several seconds later, Ninten sighed as he closed his eyes. "You...You are right," he whispered in a barely audible voice. "I criticize them for killing my comrades, yet I have tried to kill theirs. I shudder at the thought of their coup while planning to execute at the same time. I despise them for what their goal is...But I might end up helping them. This war...It turns people like us into monsters, doesn't it?

Lucas...didn't understand what Ninten was saying in his enraged state. But he could clearly see Ninten walk right past him towards the trail leading back to Tazmily.

"Tonight shall be the last night I stay," he said. "Any longer and I'll endanger you all, and bad people like me are needed on the front lines."

"Hey, wait!" Lucas called, but Ninten did not turn around. It was only at that point when Lucas fully comprehended his outburst.

 _'What have I done?'_

* * *

Fassad leaned back in his chair, sighing in exhaustion. While what happened in the town square might have been successful, his master had not been pleased with how he handled it, and therefore forbade him from going into the town until further notice.

If this were any other person, he wouldn't listen. But his master deserved the highest respect, so he followed him.

"Commander!" a private shouted as he ran up to him.

"Yes, what is it?" Fassad growled. "Can't you see you're disrupting my musing?"

"We've detected the presence of three PSI users!"

"Ah, we have? Excellent," Fassad grinned

"What are you orders, sir?"

"Where are they located?"

"One is in Onett and the other two located in Tazmily, sir!" the soldier replied.

"Go back to your duty; I will handle preparations myself."

"Yes sir!" the Pigmask saluted and scampered off.

Fassad fingered his twin scimitars. "Well, this might actually be quite entertaining, for once," he muttered as he left the room. He quickly reached the Pigmask communication room and ordered for a message to be sent to the Commander of the unit in the swamps.

"Tell him that he has orders to prepare a small force to search Onett and capture two psychics; he will receive a full briefing in two hours."

That left that town he passed through earlier to him. He was wondering how much the town changed with the Happy Boxes.

* * *

Ninten had to admit the mountain was a nice place to see a sunrise as well as he hiked on the trail across it, though he wasn't anywhere near the peak.

He once again got up at five in the morning and headed out almost immediately since the food and water he stocked up was in a bookbag on his side, while his cracked Giant Knife was in its sheath strapped to his back. Even in the hours after the fight, he couldn't bring himself to face Lucas after what happened, and he was sure he hated him. It was best if he left now before things got worse, and he needed to return to the battle. He regretted not bringing the baseball bat Lucas gave him, but he figured the kid needed it more than he did. He wasn't intending on his Giant Knife to remain cracked for much longer.

Speaking of Lucas, he could easily see why he got so upset at him. He admitted that he was pushing Lucas way too hard, especially with no encouragement and few compliments, blinded by his urgency to bring him up to standards. He had to learn how to cope with pressure like that in the future, but he reassured himself that it was understandable given the external dangers that face PSI users. But that wasn't what was bothering him.

The thing that he was brooding on was what Lucas said. He could still hear the words echo through his mind like a broken record. He always viewed himself as halfway decent, given that he was complimented on his integrity and work ethic multiple times in the past, while at the same time this was steered towards the sole purpose of warfare. He tried to reassure himself that he was fighting for what he believed in, and it was worth dying for the Royal Family, especially since he failed another family...

But was he truly a self-centered person after all? Was his core reason to fight only for assurance that he wasn't useless; not out of loyalty? And was his training Lucas motivated by that same reason? Ninten didn't have the answers. In one of the few times in his life, his thoughts were caught in a deadly circle of 'yes, I am selfish', and 'no, I'm not.' Of course, he also recognized that everyone was selfish; he was just wondering how selfish he really was.

 _'Is there even an answer to this?'_ Ninten thought frustratingly as he shook his head.

Seconds after that thought, he swore he heard footsteps. A lot of them. Needless to say, given how isolated Tazmily was, that left few options on who could be heading this way.

Ducking behind a nearby boulder, he peeked around it and gasped in horror at the sight of columns of Pigmasks marching down the trail. There could be a number of reasons why they were coming this way, but their destination was clear, regardless of their purpose.

Using 4th-D Slip, he easily managed to slip away undetected and barrel down the path, hoping to reach Lucas before it was too late.

* * *

 _The initial assault took everybody by surprise. After a fierce orbital bombardment, the alien soldiers landed in the designated points and began to cut down anyone in sight, civilian or military, government official or factory worker, adult or child. The majority of their troops landed in Asia, where the majority of the human population was concentrated._

 _Within a week, Siberia was evacuated, China was decimated, Southeast Asia was practically wiped off the map, and the other continents only fared better because they didn't have to deal with as many soldiers._

 _However, within the year Asia had fallen, the only survivors hiding in small tribes in the forests. Europe and Africa were next on the hit list. Within a year, Africa had suffered the same fate as Asia and Europe was reaching its breaking point, though at this point half of Giegue's total forces were lost._

 _It was at this point when PSI emerged from humanity. In the Battle of Salt Lake City, George and Maria, both nearly seventy at this point, became the first confirmed PSI users as they assisted repelling the assault. In Europe, PSI users held the line at Berlin, and half of the remaining alien armies were lost in another three months of combat._

 _Giegue pulled his forces back to their fortifications, marking the end to the first of the PSI Wars despite the lack of a peace treaty. Orbital bombardments continued, but with so many of their troops decimated, Giegue had to pull some of the crews from the ships off to serve in the army._

 _The second war didn't really accomplish a whole lot except the deaths on both sides. In the third war, humanity actually went on the full offensive for once, and decimated much of Giegue's remaining forces._

 _Giegue angrily took to the battlefields of North America, and confronted George, Maria, and several other PSI users in the final battle of the North American campaign; the Battle of Las Angeles. The human forces managed to trick Giegue into a trap, and disappeared in the middle of the battle, though at a terrible cost._

 _Without Giegue's leadership, the alien forces, numbering less than one hundred thousand at this point, took to the stars and fled for home, licking their wounds._

 _George was instrumental in assisting in rebuilding in North America, despite the death of Maria. He used his powers to rebuild the cities and heal the land as much as he could._

 _But not even he could prevent the divisions that plagued each city now._

 _Communications and industry were practically nonexistent after the war, and therefore each city had to rely on itself. They could no longer stay as a unified nation (well, what was left of them), and most split apart. The ones that didn't simply stayed in Confederations or tiny nations. But no one knows what remains of Asia and Africa, the two 'lost' continents._

* * *

 ** _END PROLOGUE_**

* * *

 **So yeah, that ends off the prologue for now, with the longest chapter so far. So we leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger for today, and next chapter will not only feature the first real battle scene I've written outside the beginning (I don't really count that), but also the beginning of the first of three arcs. However, it may take a little longer to get out because I'm new to fight scenes, but I hope to give it high quality. So, see ya next time!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _KP Duty: Kitchen Patrol. These guys are typically the ones who get into trouble and have to do all the dirty work. They wash the dishes, take out the trash, tackle infestations, you get the idea. Naturally, very few people want to get into trouble after going through it once._

 _Royal Gardens: A giant garden kept in front of the castle, they are renowned throughout the Confederation for its beauty. From flowers to vines to trees...all of it is well kept and maintained so that the tourists and inhabitants of the castle can enjoy it. The monarchy might not be powerful, but they damn sure know how to put on a good show._

 _PSI Signature: Like DNA, no two PSI users are exactly alike. This is manifested in their signature, allowing them to identify themselves when necessary. Unlike DNA however, it changes slightly with every new PSI technique learned, but that change typically only makes the signature marginally more powerful._

 _Onett: Another small town not even fifty miles north of Tazmily, and far more advanced than it. All they have blocking them is a forest, though it is linked to the far more prosperous town of Twoson by road, meaning Onett is often a stopping point for travelers. Two of their main features are two large hills: One of which has a meteor, and another which serves as their worst nightmare...if the creatures in there decide to attack. Otherwise, they just attack anyone who enters the cave which leads to the top._


	4. Arc 1: First Contact

**Hello, and hope you all are having a good day. I apologize for the delay, but it was hard work. The battle scene is actually pretty short, contrary to my expectations. Let's just say writing a good battle scene is a lot harder than it sounds, and this one I struggled with. Oh well, so anyway, please let me know how I did. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Earthbound or the characters in this fic; only the plot (of the fic) and OCs.**

* * *

 **Review Responses**

 **Guest: Thanks. I appreciate to know how you like the characters and stuff.**

 **Connor the spelling pro: Well, thanks for the good luck! In regards to the first rule, pretty much what Ninten is saying in that a fight, besides not going to extremes, there are no rules in a fight. The baseball bat was meant by Lucas as a weapon for Ninten given how he is 'weaponless' with his primary weapon damaged. And angst...there is so much out there right now in this section. I frankly hate Fassad, and will probably portray him as a more stereotypical villain, though with a twist later on...And see ya later too!**

* * *

 **Arc 1: Resistance**

* * *

Ninten leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. Despite only being at the edge of Sunshine Forest, he knew that running any farther would bring on an asthma attack; the worst case scenario at this moment. He had lost his inhaler in his trek through the wilderness, meaning his only option was to catch his breath and proceed slowly. Fortunately, the Pigmasks must still be a good distance away, but enough to set up a defense?

He pushed himself off of the tree after a brief rest, but was reduced to a speed-walk. He headed into town square, ignoring any strange looks from the few townspeople that were out at this time. He never really bothered to introduce himself to anyone, and he could sense their mistrust towards him.

Then again, from what he heard about small towns, their communities were supposed to be tightly knit. Despite the obvious advantages of that, it also made it difficult for them to meet new people, at least most of the time.

Dismissing his thoughts, Ninten reached Lucas's house in little time. Not waiting to knock, he simply opened the door. He reasoned that they would understand it if he explained about the Pigmasks.

Entering the house, he was greeted by the sight of an empty room. He glanced left and right, but still nobody was up. He headed up the stairs, and to his relief, not only was Lucas up (and trying to tame his hair), but his father was there too. He met Flint about two mornings after his arrival, and explained what happened to him and the Royal Family the best he could.

Lucas glanced over at him with surprise. "Ninten?" he asked. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I was," Ninten replied. "But I saw something on my way out. The Pigmasks are coming."

This had an immediate effect. The comb in Lucas's hand clattered on the ground as he tensed with wide eyes. Flint had a similar reaction, but he composed himself quicker. "Could you tell how many?" he asked.

"From what I saw, at least two dozen, probably more," Ninten calculated. "Listen, this area is not in a strategic area at all; it is isolated and there are far easier paths to take to the south if necessary. That means they're here for one reason: Tazmily. If their force is as large as I fear, they have business here. Why else would they send so many soldiers?"

Without a word, Flint strode over to and down the stairs, both boys trailing him. He went over to the corner of the living room, quickly wrote a note, and walked over to a bird cage. He opened it, gave the bird the letter, and let it fly out the window.

"Carrier pigeon," he explained. "This will signal the rally call for Tazmily's militia."

"Ah, smart idea," Ninten commented. "I just hope it's not too late."

"We can only hope," Flint said gravely as they headed out of the house.

* * *

While Ninten was not expecting the militia to be any sort of elite fighting force, he was not expecting this. Out of the seventy five that comprised it, he could count only thirty seven with any sort of weapon that would be classified as one under the Royal Guard's standards. Only fifteen had swords with wooden shields while another fifteen possessed spears or pikes. There were two equipped with muskets, and five bowmen. The rest had either farm equipment or their bare hands. He supposed this force was better than nothing.

Still, he could sense the hostility and distrust they placed in him as he made his way to the front as its commander, an old man named Wess, called for him during his briefing. He recalled reading somewhere that small towns had tightly knit communities. While this would make them close with each other, they simply would not trust strangers. He sighed as he figured he would have to try.

The teen cleared his throat as he began to speak. "Thank you, commander for allowing me to speak here today."

"Well, we don't have all day, so get on with it!" one of the militiamen shouted.

Ninten scowled at the blatant disrespect. His mind briefly drifted to his days in the Royal Guard, where anyone who acted out in such a manner (enlisted and officer) would be either severely punished or discharged. But he quickly set himself on track as he took a deep breath. "Earlier this morning, I was leaving the area via the mountain over there," he gestured toward that.

"It's called 'Drago Plateau' outsider," another growled.

Ninten's eye twitched, but he was able to retain his cool. "A substantial force of armed 'soldiers' of a rebel force is marching towards this town. I do not know the exact composition, but there is only one reason why they'd come here with a unit such as this...They intend to either capture or lay waste to your village."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" someone sneered.

"I received a letter from Alec right before the call was made to assemble," another chimed in. "He said it was the Pigmasks marching. This 'outsider' only means to turn us against our saviors by labeling them 'rebels'! The nerve!"

"He's just a kid! He must only be doing this to attract attention!"

Ninten opened his mouth to say something, but closed it as he realized it was hopeless. The majority of the militia was hurling curses and insults at him, and while he maintained a calm disposition, the inside was filled with a mixture of rage and pity. _'I must pity their ignorance,'_ he mused. _'They do not know what their true nature is like, and they will only realize when it is too late. But why are they so naive?'_ he thought angrily. _'Surely some of them have the sense to at least take precautions! What I wouldn't give for even three platoons of military units...'_

He saw the commander trying to vainly restore order, but with no success. A few other militiamen also tried to go against the tide, but in vain. Their united mentality was just too strong to pull them away from.

However, a single person emerged from the crowd, one who wasn't even there to begin with. His eyes met Ninten's as he walked forward, and instantly Ninten stepped aside for the new arrival to take the stage.

As the militia noticed the new arrival, their stream of xenophobia gradually ceased and the square became eerily silent. Their gazes shifted from those of rage to a mixture of pity and curiosity. Ninten could see curiosity, but pity? Something must have happened to his new friend before they met...

"Your so-called 'saviors' killed my mother," Lucas spoke, each word filled with contempt. Any whisperings among the militia were silenced upon that. Even Ninten felt a shiver run down his spine. "There has been proof shown by my father and Duster that the Pigmasks were linked to what happened three years ago. Yet you all rejected this when they warned you when they came." Lucas's eyes narrowed. "You all are a pathetic excuse for 'soldiers'." With that, Lucas turned on his heel and headed toward Sunshine Forest, Ninten right on his tail.

For several seconds they walked in silence, Ninten unable to find the voice to give his thoughts. However, he did before long. "In my entire career in the Royal Guard, fighting in minor battles, being shot at, burned, slammed, and even betrayed...Nothing has shocked me more than today," he said.

Lucas didn't reply, instead holding his gaze forward. "You do realize you just _insulted_ the entire town in your address, right?" Ninten asked warily.

"Yes."

Ninten had to admit, this kid had guts. Even though where he hailed from was quite rural, he would not have actually done what Lucas did. "So...why?"

"I was already an outcast," Lucas droned. "Making myself more of one is hardly the worst thing that can happen to me."

"Why are you one?"

Lucas sighed. "My mother was killed three years back, at the same time that Sunshine Forest was set on fire and mechanical animals, most notably a Mecha-Drago, appeared for a brief period of time. The Mecha-Drago was the one that got her..." he trailed off. "My twin brother, Claus, was so furious at this that he later tried to hunt it down with nothing more than a kitchen knife. He was never seen again.

"Before that, the villagers considered me a wimp and a crybaby, but I could live with that. They weren't constantly rubbing it into my face. But now they pity me...Pity won't bring anyone back. Not one of them has actually helped me outside Duster and Boney, and even then they don't know how to!" Lucas sighed. "I've distanced myself from them ever since, convinced that they truly do not care about me. But if they were so affected by my denunciation today..."

"...Maybe they still do and they don't know how to express it," Ninten concluded. "But there is still one thing I don't understand. Why did they call the Pigmasks 'saviors'?"

Lucas scowled. "They came through about two years ago, with Fassad and only a handful of Pigmasks," he began. "He convinced the townsfolk that he only wanted them to be happy and distributed these 'Happy Boxes' to achieve this. Turns out, it was only some twisted propaganda scheme that brainwashed the entire town. Even with the evidence against them, people still trusted them and hailed them as heroes."

Ninten glanced behind him. "Maybe not as many did as you thought," he said.

"Why?" he asked as he followed his gaze. There, he saw a part of the militia led by Wess, Duster, and Flint trailing behind them. About four swordsmen, six pikemen, the two musketmen, two archers, and three farmers comprised this. Lucas gaped at this. "But...How? There weren't even this many that threw their weight behind the anti-Pigmasks!

"Peer pressure is a powerful force," Ninten mused. "They might have simply been too timid to make their stance, or were neutral. But whatever their reason, I'm not complaining. At least we have a fighting chance now."

* * *

With only twenty two total soldiers, everyone knew strategy was vitally important, especially since they expected to be outnumbered three to one at least.

"I suggest we make our stand here," Wess suggested, gesturing to the narrow pathway leading to the town. "It is a narrow space, meaning that they'll have to get through us in order to get into the town. Plus, the walls are not tall enough where it is impossible to scale, but tall enough to make it very difficult, so we should have our musketmen and bowmen up there, with some swordsmen protecting them. Everyone else is in reserve."

Ninten nodded. "Agreed, that sounds like our best chance," he concurred.

However, one man (whom Ninten recalled his name was Duster) had some misgivings. "Excuse me, but can I ask something?" he asked.

"Go ahead," Ninten responded.

"It's about the mechanical animals we came across three years ago," he elaborated. "If they were the creators, could they construct them into superweapons capable of destroying our defenses? And I remember that they possessed armored vehicles. Our weapons outside Thunder Bombs will be useless against them."

"For the vehicles, I wouldn't expect a lot of them; at most a few lights," Ninten answered. "Mountainous terrain is the _worst_ type of terrain for vehicles to operate on, and I doubt they'll waste the resources if they expect minimal resistance. For the mech animals...Me and Lucas can try to deal with them, but if there are a lot, evacuate the town. We have to get as many as we can away from the carnage. Any other questions?" No reply. "Good. Wess, brief your men and deploy them as you will. Me and Lucas will support the center."

In less than five minutes, every single soldier was in position to do battle. Their eyes gazed up the pathway towards Sunshine Forest, searching for the enemy.

Lucas wished they could've met the Pigmasks on more even footing, but because most of the town were practically brainwashed, he supposed he couldn't hope for much more. At least he and Ninten could deploy shields and support them, enabling them to hold out longer.

Lucas sensed a new emotion within him, one that he had not felt for three years. It was a mortal fear; the fear that he was about to die. The possibility was imminent, and he wondered if Claus felt the same way when he made his way up the mountain to combat the Mecha-Drago that had stolen his mother's life. This was more proof on how pathetic he was. The stories had the hero march up unafraid of death, and yet here he is nearly quivering in his shoes.

He turned towards Ninten. He deserved a much better friend than he himself could provide. Ninten was a far better person than he could ever hope to be. Still, there was one thing he at least could get off his chest before the battle began.

"Ninten, I'm...I'm sorry about what I said yesterday," Lucas began. "I was immature; I should have had the sense to listen from a veteran in that, and I didn't learn from my brother as well as I thought. I could've died from my reckless decision, just like he did." He smiled bitterly. "I'm pathetic and I don't deserve this, but can...can you forgive me?"

Lucas closed his eyes and looked away, unable to even meet his eyes as his heartbeat quickened. This was it. This was the part where Ninten would say he hated him and how he wished he never met him.

"It's not healthy for you to think like that," Ninten replied. Lucas looked back at him, confused. "You're the most biased judge of yourself, so you shouldn't be saying what you do and don't deserve. You screwed up, that's all. And I can forgive a screw up, and I can even understand what pushed you to it. I'm sorry too. I pushed you too hard for your level of experience, and that made you resentful. I should've paid attention to your feelings, but I was too obsessed with enabling you to defend yourself from danger. I'm truly sorry for that, and if we survive this, I won't let that happen again."

Lucas looked away. "But what I said...It made you nearly leave didn't it?"

"Yes and no," Ninten admitted. "Yes, because your words reminded me of something that I lost sight of in my obsession. It wasn't the fact that I was a bad person. I've killed before, and people just can't remain the same after that...but that's a discussion for another time. While training you, I had left the Confederation to fend for itself against a usurper. And if there's one thing I cannot stand its the feeling that I abandoned someone or something. It's the one thing that always throws me into a pit of self-doubt about my character, though I typically can pull myself out quickly. That's why I decided to leave; I had to go back and fight. While I don't think I can change the course of the war alone, my powers can at least save numerous lives."

"I'm so sorry Ninten, I didn't know-"

"I didn't expect you to, so no apology is necessary, but thank you anyway," Ninten smiled. But then it evaporated quickly as he refocused his gaze in front. Lucas turned his head as well as he picked up on the sound of a multitude of boots marching. He looked at Ninten.

"They're here," was all he said.

* * *

The militiamen tensed at the sound. They knew that battle was imminent, as was possible death. Sure enough, the front row of Pigmasks entered view, spearheaded by one in green clothing. Another few seconds brought the lines closer, but then the green Pigmask signaled for a halt. The Pigmasks immediately ceased movement as they remained in formation, as did the militiamen. The staring contest continued for a full minute before the green Pigmask (the commander apparently) waved a blue flag.

"Parley," Ninten whispered to Lucas. "They want to know what the heck's going on."

The commander of the Pigmasks marched forward, flanked by two regular ones from the first row. In response, Wess took Duster and Lighter with him to meet them in the center of the standoff. However, their words could be heard by the nearest combatants.

"What is the meaning of this? Blocking our passage into this town?" the commander growled. "Is it too much to ask for a simple visit?"

"Given you have seen fit to bring dozens of soldiers into our fair village, we doubt that you are here to sightsee!" Wess retorted. "Last time you 'visited' it was only Fassad with a single platoon!"

"So you'll stake the lives of everyone here out of paranoia?" the commander asked.

"And you'll answer my questions by asking questions?" Wess questioned.

"If we wanted you dead, I could easily have my men pour their guns into you and your 'barbarian' force, followed by burning down your town," the commander threatened. "Don't make it come down to that."

"I have a feeling that's gonna happen whether we yield or not, unless you only bring in one platoon into the village and the rest stay in the forest," Wess offered.

"Unacceptable!" a new voice barked as he emerged from the ranks and walked towards the parties. "We have every right to be here as you, so let us in now, or else we will _make_ you stand down," Fassad commanded.

"Not even attempts to negotiate? Well, that shows real good restoration," Ninten observed as he and Lucas made their way forward as well.

Fassad's eyes widened in recognition. "You..." he muttered. "I thought I killed you two weeks ago."

"You did not, and now you will reap the results of your arrogance," Ninten said.

Fassad grinned. "Oh really? And tell me, what do you plan to do without your PSI _boy?"_

Ninten clenched his fist, which was glowing in PSI energy. "You didn't take it all," he countered. "That's how I was able to slip away last time. I don't know how you did, but rest assured you will pay the price for that."

"We shall see," Fassad sneered.

"Yes, we will," Lucas announced. "Removing Ninten from the battle will not swing the tide, because I too can use PSI."

Fassad grin faltered slightly. "That may be, but you are weak and inexperienced. Your friend might be weak, but at least he is a challenge. Without him, your pathetic excuse for an army will be annihilated."

"You showed that arrogance in our first encounter, and now again? You never learn, do you?" Ninten scoffed as he deployed a shield over the militia.

"I'll show you!" Fassad barked. "Pigmasks, attack!"

* * *

Upon Fassad's order, the battle begun, most of the leaders falling back to their troops; the militia marching forward under the protection of Lucas and Ninten's shields while the Pigmasks fired on them. Because of the shields, the initial volley did little damage, and they were blown away by a PK Love almost immediately.

However, unlike the others, Ninten and Fassad did not return to their lines. Instead, Fassad had leapt with a PSI Jump to the top of one of the plateaus, Ninten following in pursuit after kicking away a Pigmask foolish enough to try to tackle him and swiped the rifle he dropped.

Almost as soon as his feet hit the ground, he was forced to strafe to one side to avoid a PK Thunder Beta.

"You are a persistent one, aren't you?" Fassad growled. "You were lucky last time; this time I won't make the same mistake. I'll make sure you're dead and then obliterate your corpse."

One of the musketmen opened fire on Fassad. He sneered as it bounced off his shield and back at him. He fell over, dead from his own bullet. Ninten signaled the other militiamen to fall back. This was _his_ fight.

Fassad dashed forward, unsheathing his scimitars. He slashed repeatedly at the teen, but the veteran warrior was not intimidated. He simply leapt back from the onslaught and occasionally parried with a blade made out of PSI energy. He could've used the rifle, but unfortunately, he was not deemed old enough to learn how to operate firearms, so he was reluctant to risk trying to figure it out. It was not as important as someone trying to cut you to ribbons.

"Hold still and let me _cut you to pieces!"_ Fassad snarled.

Ninten stopped his retreat, which was the last thing Fassad expected even though he told him to do precisely that. But then Ninten snapped his leg up into a swift kick, one that moved like lightning. Fassad stumbled back, wind knocked out of him. Ninten saw his blades fall to the ground, and dashed over to the nearest one. He swiftly snatched it up as Fassad recovered enough to seize the other.

Fassad glowered at him. "How _dare_ you sully my weapon with your filthy hands," he snarled. "Do all servants of the corrupt Royal Family treat us with the same lack of respect as you do?"

Ninten smirked. "So what are you gonna do about it?" he asked, twirling the weapon around in his hands.

Fassad snarled as he swung, both scimitars meeting in the air with a mighty 'clang'!

* * *

Unlike his friend who was in a one on one, Lucas was in the middle of everything, in the midst of the Pigmasks tearing them apart from the inside while the pikemen take care of his rear. Needless to say, the Pigmasks were losing a lot of soldiers. But despite their efforts, it was obvious that the militia was faltering. The Pigmasks had managed to get soldiers up to the plateaus where they were dueling the swordsmen, but the covering fire had ceased as they were forced to focus on the more imminent threat in front of them. Reserves had yet to be committed, but it wouldn't be long before they had to, given that two pikemen were either wounded or dead, and the situation on the plateaus was unknown.

Lucas roared as he punched a Pigmask Captain right in his face, knocking him out. Another Pigmask took his place, but Lucas stomped on his knee and backhanded him, taking him out. There were too many of them! Damn the militia that refused to fight! They were going to doom everybody, and several were already dead from the battle.

Then, he felt a massive weight on his back and was but face-first into the dirt. He struggled as much as he could, but his foe was in a better position, unable to be budged. He could practically feel his grin as he no doubt was preparing to kill him.

But then the weight left, and a pair of strong arms lifted him off the ground. Whirling around, he saw his father dragging him back behind the now three man crew of pikemen, beginning to fall back towards the town. The swordsmen on the plateaus were already quite a distance back, and it was fortunate that the Pigmasks were so caught up in this that they didn't circle around to their rear.

"I'm sorry son, but the battle is lost," Flint said. "Go to the village and try to evacuate it while we hold them off.

"No!" Lucas protested. "I can still fight! I'll handle this while you and the others get them away!"

"Even with your powers, you can't hold them off all on your own, especially with your inexperience," Flint countered. "You are the hope of the future, as well as your friend. If you two don't survive, I'm afraid our sacrifice would be in vain. Sometimes, the most courageous are the ones that can admit defeat."

Lucas was about to open his mouth to retort when a horn blew. It sliced through the air, causing all those not engaged in a fight to turn towards its origin.

The rest of the Tazmily militia had remained in the square, unsure of what to do. Some simply walked off without a word. But when the fighting broke out, the forty remaining militiamen had watched the battle, and now when their brethren were faltering, they charged into the fray.

In the center, the remaining pikemen were relieved to see several spearmen take over their work, with other villagers supporting with everything they could. On the plateaus, the Pigmasks were outnumbered and their advance was not only brought to a complete halt, but now their lines disintegrated, the survivors fleeing as fast as they could, some getting picked off by the remaining musketmen and bowmen. Both flanks circled around and slid down the plateau walls, cutting off their only escape. It was now a fight to the death for the Pigmasks, and they fought desperately to try to break out, but to no avail.

As Lucas observed the carnage with his father, he suddenly noted the conspicuous absense of two people. Where were Fassad and Ninten?

* * *

Ninten slashed after another parry, but Fassad had already retreated. The battle had been raging for what seemed like hours, but was only minutes in reality. Despite Ninten's inexperience with the scimitar, Fassad was unable to take advantage of that. With only one scimitar, his options were more limited since he relied on two, so he resorted to throwing in PSI attacks with erratic swings. Neither combatant had scored a major hit at this point though, with only minor wounds. Both knew however that one would eventually slip up and leave an opening.

Fassad again slashed repeatedly, twirling it around wildly. Ninten tried to parry, but his movements were too erratic and he was forced to give ground. He took note that he was edging closer and closer to a cliff wall. Fassad kept pressing his attacks, and it wasn't long until Ninten could not go back any further.

Fassad roared as he made one final slash with his scimitar, but Ninten had no intentions of dying here on that day. He had parried the blow, then seized Fassad by his collar and slammed him into the wall.

Fassad tried to escape, but Ninten wasn't making it easy for him. Ninten drew one hand back, preparing to stab his adversary with his own weapon, but Fassad roared as a shield suddenly burst into existence and slammed into the teen, causing him to stumble back.

Ninten quickly recovered from the blow, only to be met with a PK Thunder Omega.

Ninten cried out in pain as the bolts danced all over his body, his strength being sapped by the pain. Fortunately, it only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough that he was forced onto one knee as he panted heavily. He dearly wished he still had Lifeup Alpha right now; he could at least recover from this partially. Now he was virtually incapacitated.

At least Fassad couldn't participate in the main fight, and hopefully this stand was not in vain. That was all he could think of as his adversary approached.

However, neither expected to hear a sudden cry, coordinated with a PK Love bowling Fassad over and sending him into the cliff wall for the second time within less than thirty seconds.

Ninten turned to face its origin, Lucas. The remnants of the PK Love faded away as he advanced, gaze ice cold and merciless. "It's over Fassad," Lucas growled as the man in question was getting back on his feet, somehow still conscious. "Your force is encircled, with the rest either dead or alone. Surrender."

Fassad stared at Lucas incredulously for a moment. Then, he began to chuckle. Lucas stepped back as it evolved into a mad cackle as he stood up. "Surrender?" he sneered as he settled down. "You act like the war was decided with this battle! It is far from over, even with my force gone. We can just get more cannon fodder to serve under us."

"You don't even care about your own soldiers?" Ninten spat. "You're despicable, just treating them like toys!"

"The Royal Family is no better; they have ignored our pleas for help, and they must pay the price," Fassad retorted. "But I'm afraid I cannot stay any longer. We'll meet again, _boy."_

"Hey, wait! Coward!" Lucas roared as Fassad disappeared in a flash of light. "Gah!"

* * *

"Hold your hand steady...keep focused..." Ninten instructed. "...Just one more second...and its good." The glow around Lucas's hands ceased as the villager examined where it used to be in amazement. "Perfect," Ninten complimented.

The villager looked at Lucas with a bright smile. "Thanks kid," he said. "I don't know what we'd do without you around." With those words, he stood up and opened the flap to the medical tent, exiting into the sunny weather.

Ninten held his gaze on the flap for a moment. "That was the last of them," he said as Lucas lay down from exhaustion. "You did well in the battle and healing the wounded," he said. "Using your PSI powers are draining at first, but you'll get used to it."

"Okay," Lucas murmured, masking the emotions swelling up within him.

Evidently, he had not done a good enough job because Ninten looked at him rather pointedly. "What's wrong?"

Lucas sighed. "It's...It's...It's hard to explain."

"We have time. It isn't even afternoon, and I have to go right now to someplace called 'nowhere'."

Lucas briefly rolled his eyes briefly amused, but quickly became serious again. "Over a hundred Pigmasks came in today," Lucas began, turning his head towards the side. "Most of them are dead, along with fifteen militiamen. All of them met premature deaths that were horrible. And I participated in the killings. I didn't even feel guilt or even think about it as I did." Lucas trembled slightly as he looked at his hands. "Am I...Am I a monster?"

"Everybody's a monster in war," Ninten replied. "War brings out the worst in people, killing and atrocity...All belligerents are guilty of those things. It's kill or be killed out there, and this war is the first major one ever since the PSI Wars. Oh, people claim that it's been peaceful since then, but the Pigmasks weren't alone in their ideology. I've talked to veterans about events, and learned that for the past thirty years there has been simmering dissent that comes in spikes. In fact, three years ago I lost a friend putting down a revolt in Summers." He closed his eyes. "You may think of me as cold or callous, but emotion on the battlefield is the worst thing you can do in battle. It's fine to think about everything when it's over, but in the middle of things, what matters is yourself, your allies, and your enemies. That's all."

"But...How can killing others be justified? It's horrible!"

"It is, but in a life and death situation you cannot think like that. Your enemies won't let that stop them, and if you stop they'll kill you."

"But isn't taking away a life the worst crime that can be committed?"

"In most cases, yes, but there are the ones who honestly deserve to die. And it seems that throughout history they are the ones that manage to get into power and cause wars. It's the reason why I do not believe world peace is possible; The wrong people keep getting up top and instigate conflicts that lead to war."

"But would killing them make it so much better? What if they see something that you cannot?"

Ninten scowled. "Perhaps, but this is a debate for another time. I just gave my point of view on it. For now, get some rest," he suggested as he stood up. "But if anything, remember this:

"Everyone copes with war differently. There are ones that distract themselves from it, and there are ones that can't cope and go insane. Then, there's the middle. It's up to you which path you wish to take. War is hell, and people forget that. It's natural; memories fade over time, like how the history before the PSI Wars is fading." Ninten's gaze softened for a moment. "Just remember that, and what you make of it is up to you."

Ninten lifted the flap up and walked out into the late morning sun, leaving a Lucas who was pondering his words.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap. So I guess this was mainly about discussions of war, which was I guess one of the driving inspirations of this fic. War is brutal and full of atrocities on every side, but since it is waged there has to be some justification behind it. This fic is just exploring when war can be justified, if it can. It will get more into depth later on.**

 **Oh, and before I forget, yes Ninten does share some views on war with me, but not all, and there will be other perspectives that come in later. And Lucas was only seeking answers; not a debate with Ninten. That's why he didn't craft such arguments like him.**

 **So how did you all like it? Please post reviews if you have anything to say. I will welcome all advice and constructive criticism you have to offer. Have a great day!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _PSI Jump: This basic technique requires concentrating enough PSI energy around the feet, which results in giving a PSI user the ability to jump to extreme heights that normal people would not be able to do. It can even be used in midair in an emergency, or simply for extra mobility. It is very useful for getting behind enemies._

 _PSI Blades: A special technique that allows the user to concentrate PSI energy and convert it into a solid form. Typically it is used as a sword or another sort of bladed weapon, hence its name. However, it creates a constant drain on a PSI user's reserves and thus can only be used for a limited time, and why real weapons are preferred over this._

 _PSI Shield Wall: Typically shields are used for defense, but that is not their only application. Using telekinesis, a PSI user can shove a shield into their foes, knocking them back and leaving them temporarily vulnerable. It is not easy to master and typically requires hours upon hours of training to master. But all the great masters of PSI agree that this technique is one of the most essential to master._

 _Summers: A small city-state on the Pacific coast in what used to be southern Washington State. It is famous throughout Eagleland for its beaches and warm temperatures. However, the poor live in the areas further from that. The wealthy tend to inhabit the beaches and this results in ludicrous prices as a result, and Summers' government is too corrupt to take action. This results in a breeding ground of unrest that occasionally sparks._


	5. Arc I: Last Sights

**Alright, second chapter of the first arc! I must say, this has been going better than I expected, though some of the areas of this chapter aren't the strongest they could be...but I couldn't come up with anything better. Anyway, not much happening here; just some character development. Also, review responses will no longer be completely in bold, which is a system that I took from Connor the speling pro who took it from Phoesong who...I don't know where it came from. *Shrugs* Either way, hope you all like this chapter!**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **Connor the speling pro:** Agreed. The suburbs are really nice in my opinion. And my action scenes were pretty good? That...honestly surprises me. I thought it was decent, but not good. And thanks for the tips on battles! Ironically, I was watching the movie 'Saving Private Ryan' the night I posted the chapter, and I had the _exact same thought cross my mind!_ And...I'm still messing up on that whole 'he' thing. That's gonna take a while to shake off.

Sound like teenagers? I'm always used to speaking and writing more formally (thank my Mom and AP Euro for that (though I don't tend to use a lot of complicated words)), so it's going to be tough...Time to hit the research lab! Yeah, war is one of those tricky areas, but I do agree it is more related to human nature as opposed to Ninten's, though that is a contributing factor. And good luck to you on that!

 **Guest:** Thanks for the compliments, however I would not recommend relying too heavily on my action scenes. My skills with writing them will improve in the future, but they are far from honed at this point. But you're welcome; I'm glad that you benefited from this and like this fic so far. See ya!

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Earthbound or anything in this fic other than the plot and OCs.**

* * *

"Well done, Lucas," Ninten commented as they headed back into the village. "You've made tremendous progress in your PSI, and I have no doubt we are ready to depart."

"I'm sorry for delaying you further," Lucas apologized.

"Don't worry: It was essential to make sure not only you but this town would be at least semi-prepared for what lies ahead."

Only two days after the battle, the evidence of the battle remained etched in the minds of the townspeople. Fortunately, the town itself took no damage, and no noncombatants were injured or killed. However, the burials of the fifteen militiamen that gave their lives were especially somber. The Pigmask soldiers were also given burials, but in a different part of the cemetery.

But now the village was divided into three. The great minority (but vocal) protested the battle, since they were more sympathetic towards the Pigmask. They treated Ninten and Lucas with overt hostility ever since they learned of their part in the battle, as well as their PSI. They advocated for peace and negotiations with the Pigmasks if they ever returned.

The majority of the villagers were overall neutral, not really personally caring which side the village takes. They just wanted to survive with their happiness intact, but it was essential for them to take sides sooner or later. While some were convinced by the first group, most were swayed towards the third group.

The final but larger minority despised the Pigmasks, spearheaded by the ones who mistrusted them from the beginning, most of the remaining militia, and the families of the dead. They argued that they could've negotiated before the battle, and that their actions revealed what their true nature was like. They advocated for a greater militia as well as training them, to increase their abilities to defend themselves. They created battle plans in the event of another attack.

In fact, an iron smelter from the third group offered to repair Ninten's Giant Knife a few hours after the battle. He insisted he didn't need to be paid, and Ninten was very grateful for his services. And he regained his primary weapon.

However, no matter how hard he tried, Lucas couldn't completely shake the guilt he felt after the battle, but he accepted that there was no other alternative other than risking the entire village. Neither one had any sort of idea on the trials ahead. In addition, while their PSI gave them a chance, it was a low one without any support. They needed to reach one of the major urban centers soon.

"Do you think they'll come back?" Lucas asked.

"If they were smart, they wouldn't," Ninten said. "This is not strategic at all; in fact, the only reason they came was likely because of us. With their high losses, they'd probably allocate a much larger force to attack with next time, and even then, all that could be used somewhere else that was more decisive."

Ninten cleared his throat. "Before I forget, you'll be away from this village for an unknown amount of time if you don't change your mind. I do not know when we'll come back, if we survive. You must say your goodbyes and gather anything you want. Remember; not much beyond the bare necessities. Okay?"

Lucas nodded. "I understand. You should also gather what you need as well."

Ninten smiled. "Don't worry; I will."

* * *

Goodbyes would not take very long, since there was only a dog and two people that Lucas intended on bidding farewell to. He currently stood in front of the residence of one of those two people.

He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door. He could hear shuffling inside, and before long, it opened up. Thankfully, it was Duster and not Wess who stood there. Not that he hated Wess, but his cranky demeanor wasn't the most tolerable in this situation.

"Hey Lucas," Duster greeted, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm good, how are you?" Lucas asked.

"I'm fine, though the town is not," he sighed. "I'm sure you've noticed, but ever since the battle, tensions have been mounting. This battle may be considered a victory, but it is also a defeat since we are turning on each other." Duster gazed off into the distance. "Three years ago, life was content. It was happy. Why did it all come to this, Lucas?"

"I don't know," Lucas replied. "But I do need to talk to you about something related to the Pigmasks."

Duster nodded. "Can we walk as we talk?" he asked. "I'm not sure if my father would be pleased to hear a long conversation while he's trying to sleep."

"Okay," Lucas replied as the duo headed down the dirt path. For several seconds, silence reigned as they listened to the sound of their own footsteps. "Tomorrow, I'm leaving with Ninten. We're going to try to stop the Pigmasks," he dropped the bomb.

Duster froze as he turned to face him. "What?" he asked.

"I'm leaving with Ninten to stop the Pigmasks."

"Lucas, I've known you for a long time, but can I ask if you have lost your mind?"

"Duster, you know I'm not normal," Lucas retorted. "I can use this 'PSI'...and it's powerful," he continued as he formed a PK Love hexagon in the palm of his hand. "We're in danger as long as they wage their war. They have to be stopped before significant damage can accumulate. It is very likely that if they are not stopped soon, humanity would cease to exist. Every PSI user that goes against them is that much more the Confederation has to protect the people. I have to do this."

"In a way, I have to admire you sticking your neck out for people you don't know, but this isn't your fight. Surely one PSI user can't make that much of a difference, can they?"

"Maybe not, but if everyone had that kind of attitude, no PSI user would come, and then extinction," Lucas said. "Besides, it _is_ our fight; they attacked and killed fifteen people. They just _made_ it our fight."

"No matter what I say I won't be able to stop you, will I?" Duster asked. Lucas didn't reply. "Fair enough, but before you go, I have something to give to you."

"What is it?" Lucas asked.

"It's a surprise, but it will no doubt be very useful for you and your friend," Duster elaborated. "I'll deliver them tomorrow morning since I don't have them on hand. I'll be waiting on the pathway to the square."

"You know you don't have to do this, right?"

"You do know that you don't have to do what you are going to do?" Duster countered. "I'm doing this for you. I'll stay and protect the town. You worry about protecting everyone else. Got it?"

Lucas nodded. "I will."

Duster smiled. "Just take care. You will do no good dying a meaningless death."

"I should also be telling you that, _thief,_ " Lucas smirked as he walked away.

* * *

Stopping by Boney's doghouse, he plopped himself down right next to his dog as he ran his hand through his fur coat. Boney looked up at him.

 _"Hey Lucas,"_ he yawned. _"Anything you need from me?"_

"Well, I need to talk to you about something."

 _"Okay, shoot. Not like you're telling me you're leaving or anything, right?"_

"..."

 _"Wait...ARE you leaving?"_ Boney asked.

"...Yeah?"

 _"WHAT?"_ Boney sprang to his feet as he pinned Lucas to the ground. _"You can't leave! Who will I be able to lick and be overly affectionate towards when you're gone?"_

"Don't worry; I'll talk with father about it later. Hopefully he'll become more like his old self again..."

 _"Lucas, what happened was hard on all of us; myself included,"_ Boney replied. _"I don't think either me or Flint can take losing you too..."_

"But if I don't stick my neck out, Ninten will be all on his own. Sure he can take care of himself, but this war is dangerous. I want to help him in any way I can, and besides...I have a feeling that I'll be needed with him."

Boney gave a small whine as he got off of Lucas. _"Well...If you really feel that way, I guess I'll allow you to leave, but you must come back. Understand?"_

Lucas's lips twitched upwards. "Yes, I do. Now, I'll go talk with father about this."

* * *

 _'Well, here goes nothing,'_ Lucas thought to himself as he proceeded to the front door of his house. Never in his life did he consider how intimidating the door could look, especially since he did not know how his father would take the news. He supposed there was only one way to find out.

He paused right before the door, took a deep breath to steady his nerves, and opened the door.

As Lucas closed the door, he was able to take a glance at his father at the table, chewing on some carrots they had harvested recently. Upon Lucas's entry, he looked up. "Hello Lucas, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Lucas answered. "But...we need to talk."

"About what?"

"Two things; One, I noticed you haven't been going into the mountains ever since the battle to search for Claus. Why?"

"That battle made me realize that I must face facts and that I can't run from the truth forever," Flint sighed. "Three years. For three entire, miserable years I had refused to accept it. I couldn't accept that not only my wife, but also one of my sons had suffered such a horrible death. But if it was indeed true, I wanted to retrieve his remains and give him a proper burial...like your mother." Flint hung his head. "In the days following the funeral, I had watched you fall into misery. I thought that if I could find him and bring him back, you would be happy again, run around and laugh like you used to...I'm sorry, I'm getting unusually poetic, aren't I?"

Lucas shrugged. "It's fine. Continue."

"Anyway, as time went on, I sensed your resentment towards not only me but to the others burning, resentful at their lack of sympathy, and later their idiocy blindly following the Pigmasks. I became desperate, hoping to reverse it with finding Claus. But now I realize...If I had stayed by your side, things would have been better." Flint shook his head briefly. "I have made a terrible mistake, Lucas, for neglecting you while searching for nothing. I'm sorry for all I have done."

Lucas was silent, sorting out his feelings towards this. On one hand, he was still angry towards Flint for not recognizing this earlier, but...At least he acknowledged his mistake. Perhaps there is hope for him after all?

Lucas sighed. "I'm sorry, but I cannot forgive you...not right now. You said it yourself; you left me alone during the hard times and barely showed any love towards me these past few years. I've laid in bed, wishing either for you to give up your search, or for me to take Claus's place. But...Later, I might. I just need more time."

"I understand," Flint said.

"And now the second thing," Lucas continued. "Ninten is leaving first thing tomorrow to get back to his comrades. I plan on joining him against the Pigmasks."

An uncharacteristic gasp from Flint echoed through the room as he nearly dropped the cup of water in his hand. He quickly leveled a stern gaze upon Lucas.

"Lucas-"

"Father, stop," Lucas commanded. "I've made up my mind. The Pigmasks are our enemies; they've killed fifteen of our fellow villagers days ago. They've overthrown the Royal Family, and will not stop until either everything is destroyed, or they are defeated! They have to be stopped.

"For all of my life, I was the outcast, the crybaby, always relying on my brother even before the incident. Now, two of those things have changed, but the last hasn't. In fact, with my PSI awakening, I'm even more of an outcast than before! Ninten is one of the few people left who actually treat me with any sort of equality, outside of Duster, Boney, and you. I owe so much to Ninten, father, I can't let him go out on his own. I need to help him...please."

Flint sighed as he tipped his hat. "Lucas, you have grown so much these past several years," he said. "I knew after witnessing you fight, that I wouldn't be able to contain your spirit for much longer. In fact, I'm certain whether or not I give my consent, you will leave regardless, correct?" Lucas nodded. "Then it is of no use to not give my support. While neither I nor Boney can come with you, I can allow you to take whatever you need for the journey ahead."

"Father..."

"Ninten is a fine lad, and I can already see he's a healthy influence on you. You two have developed a bond during the time he has stayed here, and it is...unusual for a bond to be this strong in such a short time. I'm sure he'll take care of you. But I want you to promise one thing to me."

"What?"

"Please...If you do die, then don't die in vain," Flint elaborated. "I can't ask you to stay safe, since wars are far from it. But that is my final request. Go out there and make your father proud."

"Father..." Lucas whispered. "I...I love you," he said as he hugged him.

"I love you too, Lucas."

* * *

His master was not pleased.

"...So, over a hundred soldiers were lost...in the two attempted captures...only succeeding in one?"

Fassad hung his head at his master's analysis. "I'm afraid so, master," he reluctantly confirmed. "

"We can't afford such defeats like that...But I'm sure you already know that," his master wheezed.

"..."

"On the subject of PSI...Have you managed to track down...the one that is missing?"

"Sadly, the incompetence of the intelligence division is blatantly showing by their failure to do so," Fassad explained. He coughed. "Should I replace some of them, and demote them to common grunts?"

"Go ahead," his master ordered. "They must learn the penalty...of failing their king so consistently."

"Indeed, Master Porky."

"However, I must warn you Fassad...if you keep up your track record so far in this war..." Porky dissolved into a coughing fit, recovering a few seconds later. "...You will no longer be my second. Clear?"

"As clear as my PSI Shields," Fassad answered, gulping.

"Good."

"But, if I may, I wish to propose a plan to ensure that what happened in Tazmily won't happen again."

"Explain."

"I wish for someone to shadow the two PSI users present at the battle," Fassad said. "When the time is right...that's when our little spy will strike, and slaughter both of them."

"One of them is the Princess's personal bodyguard," Porky retorted. "He won't be so...careless as you expect. Don't you know the standards of...Royal Guardsmen much less _bodyguards_ that were...picked from the best of the best?"

Fassad grinned. "Oh, but we _do_ have someone that was close to the best of their best before she left. Maybe she'll be able to take them out."

"...Perhaps, but she commands the mountain base..."

"Surely I can serve as a substitute temporarily," Fassad boasted. "How hard can it be to manage a base when that's precisely the thing I do, as you manage the strategic concerns?"

"Very well," Porky accepted. "You will immediately give her the word and..." A few seconds of coughing punctuated the sentence. "Head to the mountain immediately," he commanded.

"Understood," Fassad said as he stood up and headed out of the room.

* * *

Ninten yawned as he stretched, getting up off of the chair in the process. He had been awake for nearly half an hour now, and they had about that much time left before they had to go. He needed to wake Lucas, even though he mentioned he hated being disturbed in the mornings.

Flint had already gotten up to do some work, so he could make as loud a ruckus as he needed to as long as it didn't wake Boney and got the job done. By Lucas's bedside, he called, "Lucas, time to get up."

Lucas mumbled something incoherently as he rolled over.

Ninten sighed. This was probably going to be a lot harder than it looked. He gently shook Lucas.

The veteran promptly received a pillow to the face and landed on the ground with a loud 'bang!'

Thankfully, the noise was enough to wake Lucas up as he sat up with half-open eyes. Ninten groaned as he sat up, Lucas's head turning towards him. All of a sudden, Lucas was awake and by his side.

"Ninten! Are you all right?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ninten answered. "I just didn't expect you to try and start a pillow fight, that's all."

Lucas's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay," Ninten replied getting to his feet.

Lucas gazed at Ninten questioningly. "So why did you wake me up?" he asked.

"Don't you remember? We're leaving Tazmily in thirty minutes." Ninten sighed.

"What?" Lucas cried. "That means I gotta get ready fast! Okay...first, get dressed and comb my hair," he muttered as he dashed over to his drawer and drew clothes out from it. Let's just paraphrase the next series of events and say within thirty minutes he was indeed ready.

* * *

The duo departed on time, saying goodbye to Flint and Boney one final time, and proceeded up the dirt road towards town square one final time, Lucas's bat in his bag while Ninten's Giant Knife was in its sheath that was strapped to its owner's back. However, a lone figure stood in the middle of the road, as if waiting for them.

"Hey Lucas," Duster greeted as the teens halted in front of him, Lucas's curiosity on what he wanted to give them spiking.

"Hi Duster, how are you today?" Lucas inquired.

"I'm doing fine. How are you two?" he asked in reply.

"Okay," Lucas replied.

"I'm fine," Ninten answered simultaneously.

Duster nodded, accepting their answers. "Anyway, remember what I said yesterday Lucas?" he reminded the blonde teen as he handed each one sack full of...strange balls. "These are Thunder Bombs, a weapon that my family had developed during the PSI Wars and have passed down the blueprints and materials ever since. All you have to do is throw them and they can take out a number of your foes with electricity. The detonators are under a small bulge that you flip up to prevent detonations in the bag, but they only have a ten second fuse, so you better throw it fast."

"Thank you, Duster," Ninten said.

"It's the least I can do," Duster replied. "Anyway, good luck, and that's all I can say. Just...Try your best to make it out alive please?"

Ninten and Lucas nodded as they proceeded up the path and through town square. No one was up at this early hour, making it perfect for leaving undetected. Before long, they headed into the paths of Sunshine Forest. Lucas remarked that it seemed unusually pleasant today as they neared Drago Plateau. Before long, they stood before that path, and they looked at each other.

"This is it," Ninten said. "As soon as we head up here, there can be no going back. You must fully accept the possibility of never seeing you home again, and even if you do Tazmily will be far different than before. Are you truly ready for this?"

Lucas nodded without hesitation. "I am," he declared.

"Then let's roll out," Ninten responded as they turned forward again and began to walk up the path.

"Wait!"

 _'Oh please, not now,'_ Lucas groaned in his head as he turned around.

His fears were confirmed by the sight of a young brunette boy about his age panting with his hands on his knees.

"Fuel?"

"W-What are you doing, Lucas?" he asked. "You should know better than me that it's dangerous up there!"

"I know," Lucas replied.

"Then why?" Fuel shouted. "Why are you heading up there now? Especially after what happened days ago!"

"I'm leaving Tazmily behind," Lucas coldly said. "And don't think you can stop me; you can't."

"You can't!" Fuel practically screamed. "You'll leave everything and everyone you know behind! You...You can't just leave your father alone!"

"He already gave his approval, and I have a mission," Lucas retorted before facing Ninten. "Come on; let's go before this gets any worse."

"Wait!" Fuel called. "I know we haven't got along for the past three years very well," he began, gulping. "...But I want to know. Why are you leaving?"

"To stop the Pigmasks in whatever they hope to do," Lucas answered. "They have a goal in mind, why they exist in the first place. But pursuing that goal would wipe out what remains of humanity, and that cannot happen."

"But what if you die?"

"If I die, then I'll be with my mother and brother." Lucas glared coldly at Fuel. "If you have nothing left to say, I suggest you leave, now."

"Lucas, aren't you being a little harsh on him?" Ninten asked.

Lucas sighed. "I...guess you're right," he admitted. "I...I'm sorry Fuel, but I have to do this. You won't be able to stop me."

"Lucas..." Fuel fell into silence. "I...I guess you're right. I won't be able to stop you. Just...promise me one thing."

"What?"

"That you'll...try to come back alive," Fuel mumbled. "I...don't think your father can take another one of his sons dying on him."

"I will."

"Then...Good luck, and see ya..." Fuel trailed off as he left the duo.

Lucas sighed and faced Ninten. "It's time," was all he said.

* * *

Towards the northern area of central Eagleland, there is one province that stands out from the rest. It is called Winters because of its infamous cold temperatures even in the middle of summer. However, there was one particular town that stood out even further due to its completely year-round snow outside the mostly-year-round snow. This town was named 'Snowman' for that reason, because what kid doesn't like to build snowmen whenever good packing snow is available?

However, this town was important for two other reasons, unbeknownst to all but a handful. The first was that a lone PSI user lived there, helping her parents in the church. The second was that this PSI user's family allowed another PSI user that arrived nearly two weeks ago. Little did they know that this was the one person the Pigmasks were so desperately searching for, but...

Princess Paula sneezed as she huddled further under the covers. _'Why did I have to catch a PSI Virus **now** of all times?'_ she wondered as she shut her eyes, hoping to sleep it off. _'At least PSI Fevers don't last as long, and you get something out of them!'_

For four days after the coup, she had struggled in the harsh conditions of not only the wilderness, but Winters' wilderness, which was like the regular wilderness except freezing cold before stumbling upon this village. Surprisingly, it was fairly modern and fairly large, boasting a population of fifteen hundred. Paula could vaguely recall coming to Snowman once before, but she couldn't remember any specifics, and was extremely grateful to find shelter at the church soon after her arrival.

However, the strain of her travels combined with her hatred of the cold, the stress of the Confederation on her shoulders, the worry about what happened to her loved ones and her best friend, and fear of capture proved too much for her to handle, and was left vulnerable to the virus.

Before she could get submerged into any more trains of thought, she felt the feeling of the towel on her head leave her, but quickly followed by a colder one being placed on it.

Her eyes cracked open to see a girl withdrawing from her view, probably to put the old towel away. She was the daughter of the kind family who let her stay in the church, and she was almost a mirror of herself. They had the same hair and eye color, a similar height, and even shared a favorite color. In addition, both of them knew that they could use PSI, which made the already uncanny similarities somewhat eerie. However, despite that Ana treated her very kindly during her period of illness. They had become fast friends indeed.

Ana returned nearly a minute later, a glass of water in her hand. "Hi Paula," she greeted with a slight bow (which was apparently habit, much to Paula's awkwardness). "How are you feeling?"

Paula sniffed. "Same as last time," she replied, eyes appearing to droop. "Honestly, being pinned down like this, unable to do anything...I hate it."

"I know how you feel," Ana said.

"I just feel so...useless when I can't do something, whether I actually can't or I'm not allowed to," Paula elaborated. "Especially when I don't know the state of my family and best friend..."

All Ana did was lay a supportive hand on her shoulder. She opened her mouth briefly, but closed it, apparently deciding against what she was gonna say.

Regardless, Paula appreciated the thought as she yawned, her drowsiness catching up to her as her eyes closed. "Get some rest," she heard Ana say, before Paula felt her hand leave her shoulder and hearing her footsteps as she exited the room.

The Princess's last thoughts were, _'They'll be all right. My parents are resourceful, and Ninten is a valiant warrior. They **had** to have made it out...right? Ugh, I really hate being in a state like this,' _ before drifting off.

* * *

 **Well, finally it begins. Tazmily is left behind and the duo set off into unknown territory. While I liked this, I'm glad now that the plot can finally get rolling after these few weeks. And it's only been a little over a month since I started? Wow, honestly I'm kinda surprised at my progress. Still, my other fic demands some of my attention, though the chapter for that won't be released until next weekend, hopefully along with the next chapter to this, but I'm uncertain. Well, whenever the date of my next release, see ya! And have a great day as well!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _Winters: A small province around central-northern Eagleland. It is famous for its cold climate that in some areas gets snow in the **summers** (though in most cases, not year-round). Needless to say, stay clear if you are not fond of the cold at all. The nearly year-round snow started shortly after the close of the PSI Wars, for reasons that are still debated by the leading scientists of this day._

 _Snowman: A small town around the area of northern California by a mountain range. Year round snow gave it its name (most of the other areas in Winters don't get that), but scientists debate to this day what is the cause of this phenomena._

 _PSI Virus: Occasionally, PSI users catch PSI Fevers, which are very similar to these viruses. The main difference, however, is that the fever results in learning a new PSI technique or a surge of power while the virus lasts longer with no benefit. Typically it has to do with an exceptional amount of 'bad' PSI not only being produced, but failed to be disposed of, with the result that the core needs time to readjust. This can take from a week to a month, but most commonly two weeks give or take. This cannot be healed by any known PSI power or medicine._

 _PSI Fever: A PSI Fever occasionally occurs when development of PSI causes a new technique to be learned outside of training and battle, two other methods for learning techniques. Unlike training where PSI techniques are perfected, and battle where they pop up randomly, this is a more gradual type of learning. Still, the PSI user feels really sick during this, like a regular cold, except worse due to the power within them. Like PSI Viruses, they cannot be healed by any known PSI or medicine._


	6. Arc 1: Abandoned Fortress

**Well, here we are again with another chapter. Sorry about the delay; I just needed to 'iron' out some wrinkles in it, and extend its length somewhat. Turned out to be the longest I've written so far, I think. Overall I think this is one of the better chapters I've done so far. But I could very well be biased; I'll leave it up to you readers to determine the quality.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Review Responses**

 **Guest:** Thanks for the compliment. The girl on the mountain...Well, there _was_ an OC in the first chapter (who was killed off immediately), but who's to say there aren't others? Or maybe I'm just messing with you? Ah, me and riddles have a love/hate relationship. As for the Tazmily kids...I guess I haven't seen a fanfic yet that centered around them, though I haven't searched really closely in particular. Well, hope you enjoy this!

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Earthbound or any non-OC characters; only the plot.**

* * *

"I'm hungry," Lucas said.

Ninten sighed. "I know, but we shouldn't use up too much of our supplies; we're beginning to run low," Ninten pointed out.

Lucas sighed. "You're right, but what about those berries over there?" the blonde asked, pointing at a bush, his stomach giving a growl.

"Those are poisonous berries," Ninten observed. "Probably a bad idea to eat them." His gaze shifted upward. "Those apples on the other hand..."

Lucas watched as Ninten generated a single psychic knife and threw it at the branch that he was looking at. It fell, severed from the tree and landed into Ninten's waiting hand, apples still on there. "Food."

"Thank you!" Lucas cried as he plucked one from it. Lucas easily devoured the apple, and also took a second one. Ninten himself had two before plucking the rest of the apples off.

"That's enough," Ninten said. "We'll eat the rest later, but like I said before, we shouldn't eat too much."

"At least we didn't run into a bear like yesterday," Lucas shivered.

"At least it was more interested in making a meal out of plants as opposed to us," Ninten stated. "If it had wanted to go after us, I'm sure we would've gotten away, but I would not have taken the chance."

Lucas frowned. "You know, these three days have taught me a lot about the wilderness...and I'm not so sure I like it as much as I used to."

Ninten chuckled. "Yeah, quite different than the books we like to read," he mused. "We take for granted what we have in civilization, and we don't realize how lucky we are for such comforts until we lose them. Mind you, I'm not insulting the wilderness; I'm just saying people probably wouldn't like the reality of it since the books love to romanticize it."

Lucas opened his mouth to respond to Ninten's comment, but he noticed light glimmering off of something. He refocused his gaze ahead. "What's that?" he asked.

"I need a closer look," Ninten said as he dashed towards the bushes, Lucas following in suit.

* * *

It was quite the structure to find in the middle of nowhere. About two stories tall, yet very wide from what they could see and probably very long, complete with a 'courtyard' of mechanical obstructions and a fence surrounding the entire perimeter. But there was something that tipped the duo off right on the front about who was this building controlled by.

"That is something that doesn't look suspicious at all," Ninten deadpanned. "Just a small stroll through a forest and onto the plans, and we discover a giant building with the Pigmask insignia on the front. Yep, that is totally not suspicious at all."

"Snark isn't helping here, Ninten," Lucas deadpanned back.

"Okay, okay, I'll get serious now," Ninten said.

"So what do we do? I mean, we can't just let it sit here."

"No…but given the size, I doubt that this is just a small base that we can raid. But it looks relatively inactive from what I can see…" Ninten muttered. "…Maybe we should simply get a closer look. Then we'll decide.

Lucas nodded, agreeing with Ninten's strategy. It was the veteran who moved first, crouching low to the ground as he crept towards their objective, then got onto his belly and army-crawled the rest of the way. Lucas thought it wise to mimic his movements, to avoid possible detection if there were any Pigmasks standing around on watch.

It was slow, but a few minutes later, Ninten finally crawled behind a checkpoint, and stood up, poking his head as far around it as he dared.

"This is really odd," he whispered. "It looks…abandoned. Yet there is quite a bit of equipment lying around, like abandoned vehicles and weapons."

"What? Why would they leave all of this behind?"

"Either it's a ruse or they left in such a hurry they abandoned everything they didn't need," Ninten hypothesized. "But we should still be cautious; we don't know if this is a trap or not."

"Why can't we just use your 4th-D Slip technique?" Lucas inquired. "I mean, it would make it a lot easier to sneak around."

"Don't want to risk setting off any PSI detectors," Ninten answered.

Lucas tried to peek over the windowsill of the post, and as he did he discovered some sort of device. "Eh? What is this?" he wondered aloud.

Ninten grabbed it and brought it down to examine it. "It appears to be some sort of recording device," he concluded. "It might provide something useful if I can figure out how to operate it."

"Do you think you'll be able to?" Lucas questioned.

"Give me a few minutes. I'll see if I can figure this out."

Apparently, he could've said fifteen seconds and he still would've finished on time. Lucas saw him quickly discover and press a button on it, which caused it to crackle, but then a voice began echoing out of the contraption.

" **May sixth, two thousand one hundred ex ex,"** the voice droned. **"Finally, orders have arrived that we finally pull out of this base in the middle of nowhere. With the fall of the Royal Family, Commander Fassad has ordered us to move in to help garrison the castle and surrounding areas as war is waged on the surrounding areas. I wish our unit was assigned to the front lines so we can experience battle and kill some Royal bastards...but orders are orders.**

" **On another note, we're pulling out so quickly that many of our obsolete and damaged equipment are being left behind in the haste to move out. But we have extracted most of the important documents at this point and only have a handful left. Now, this base shall cease to function as soon as we leave. We could destroy it, but explosives are so hard to come by even with our production facilities on overdrive we cannot spare anything at the moment. But it's only good for a shelter; there is no other use for this…I'm fairly sure."**

With those last words, the recorder fell silent, both teens processing this information.

"…So it has been abandoned," Ninten mused. "And it looks like the Pigmasks are short on weaponry; that's good."

"Still, it's a shame we can't get anything from here," Lucas sighed. "We could've really used some things they might have."

"Hmm…Perhaps there might still be something…" Ninten said. "Even if it's only directions to operate one of their vehicles, it'll be better than nothing. Besides, if they really aren't here, then this is a perfect time to at least sweep the area, find any clues they might have accidentally left behind."

"But what if it's really a trap?" Lucas asked.

"Then we fight our way out," Ninten answered, clenching his fist.

* * *

Ninten gently opened the door, entering the abandoned building cautiously. He was the most experienced in combat, so he took point with Lucas behind him. At least having his Giant Knife back was nice; he found some sort of comfort in feeling its weight as they navigated through the halls, fully aware of the dangers they could potentially encounter on this mission.

Lucas's PSI only served to make him more relaxed as he could provide valuable support, especially when Ninten's PSI was still lost. Even though he was inexperienced and his weapon was a baseball bat, it was certainly nice having another pair of eyes with him. Plus, the Thunder Bombs Duster gave them could prove very useful in times such as these.

Ninten came across a door and gently opened it. He cautiously entered with Lucas; despite the room's only occupants was an abandoned desk and bookcase. He curiously examined the drawers of the desk, with no result.

"Any luck over there, Lucas?" he asked.

"Nope," Lucas answered.

Many of the rooms they came across were similar; they would have some storage and work areas, and nothing would be left behind for them to get their hands on besides some articles of clothing too large for them. Now, the pair of doors they stood in front of seemed to give off some sort of eerie presence, like whomever this room was meant for was powerful. Ninten pushed the door open, wincing at the noise it made, and with his hand on the hilt of his blade entered.

' _Geez, what a rip-off of the Royal Family,'_ Ninten thought as he glanced around the room, taking in the sight of a throne room. There was a massive throne at the head of the room, with a massive crimson carpet leading up to it. The walls were adorned by pictures of this fat boy that looked old and withered, _very_ old, and the walls were painted a hideous mixture of black and blood red. The Royal Family didn't even have pictures in the room, and the walls were far more appealing than this one was.

Glancing at Lucas, the veteran could tell that the rural boy was just as unnerved as he was. "Don't worry; I can't sense anything around here," Ninten reassured him. Lucas nodded in reply and visibly relaxed. The duo fanned out, trying to find anything of significance in this area. Ninten's sharp eye caught sight of a torch that looked remarkably out of place compared with the others. He walked up to it and examined it. With little hesitation, he reached up and pulled it.

A massive groan echoed through the room as the back wall shook, Ninten taking a few steps back out of nervousness. He felt Lucas come to his side as both watched the development; a part of the wall actually shifted forward out of formation, and then shifted to the side, revealing a secret passageway.

"Well, looks like this is a great deal more mysterious than we thought," Ninten muttered.

"Where do you think that leads?" Lucas asked.

"Only one way to find out," Ninten replied, heading down into the darkness, down a stairwell.

' _Man, talk about a need for dramatic effect,'_ Ninten scoffed. Why did villains in books always feel the need to take such extravagates, he didn't know.

The duo quickly hit the bottom and pushed the door at the bottom open and entered a setting so unlike the upstairs area. "What is this place?" Lucas wondered.

"It appears to be some sort of science lab," Ninten replied, glancing at all the large machines left behind. It appears that the Pigmasks had left hastily, given that all of this really should've been taken out or destroyed. He would have to figure out where exactly this place was so that he could direct a unit of Eagleland troops to seize them and get all of the machinery.

Sweeping across the room, the duo proceeded into a separate room, devoid of everything except a single bookcase…with a book on it.

"They really make these things too easy," Ninten muttered, yanking the book. Just like with the torch, the bookcase shuddered as it moved to the side, once again exposing a secret pathway to the unknown.

The passage wasn't very long, and it lead to another ordinary looking room, complete with a desk and bookcase. The only difference was that there were two pieces of paper on it. Upon examination, one was simply a folded-up map of Eagleland, with the surrounding towns and the former base itself marked on it; a valuable resource. The other paper on the other hand was not as clear-cut.

Without hesitation, Ninten swiped it off of the wooden surface and began to try to read it.

 **December 21, 21XX**

 **Project Chimera is proceeding ahead at all possible speed. At this rate, it should be complete before spring of next year, ahead of schedule. Our army will greatly benefit from this, even if most of them are going to be defending these locations our king has handpicked. But seriously, why is he sending them to these insignificant locations where they can only just sit around and twiddle their thumbs while our soldiers die? Maybe he knows something we don't.**

 **On the other hand, we have had no luck trying to control specimen D-1, despite various efforts to contain it for nearly three years. We have finally decided to lock it up permanently until we are certain that we can control it. It will be very devastating towards our enemies, who quiver in terror at even the thought of facing that creature. But D-1 is the reason why most of our chimeras are smaller and weaker; they are far easier to control than one the size of a Drago. But I shiver in excitement at the opportunity to test these beast machines out on the incompetents that call themselves the 'Royal Guards'. But there is another chimera that goes beyond those capabilities…One that I'm sure would be the deaths of us if we screw up.**

"What does it say?" Lucas asked as Ninten lowered the paper.

Ninten didn't get an opportunity to reply, when an alarm began to blare. **"Warning, warning!"** a monotone feminine voice droned. **"Containment for specimen D-1 has failed. Repeat; containment for specimen D-1 has failed. All chimera teams deploy to contain. Repeat; all chimera teams deploy to contain."**

Ninten looked at Lucas. "We're about to face something that the Pigmasks could not control," he told him as they dashed out of the hidden room. They burst into the main lab just as a wall burst down, the roar of a Mecha-Drago filling their ears.

* * *

Ninten and Lucas scurried away from the out of control Mecha-Drago barreling towards them. Fortunately, it couldn't turn very well at the speeds at which it was going and thus both teens were able to evade the clumsy attack. The Mecha-Drago received a compensation of getting its head stuck in the wall.

Ninten sprinted towards it, not wanting to waste even a second. He leapt up onto its back despite the Mecha-Drago's thrashing. With a cry, he stabbed his Giant Knife into the back. However, the mechanical Drago roared in pain and jerked in response, freeing its head at last. Ninten was also sent flying off along, rolling head over heels on the ground with his Giant Knife clattering down next to him.

The veteran quickly recovered from his fall and swiftly rolled off to the side to avoid a possible attack, but none came. Instead, a mighty roar filled his ears. Wincing, he looked to see the Mecha-Drago facing down Lucas, who had his hands over them. The Mecha-Drago merely swiped at the boy with his tail, sending Lucas flying with a cry.

Ninten charged towards their foe, hoping to take some pressure off of his friend and possibly cause some damage. It appeared the Mecha-Drago didn't notice him as he approached its leg, Giant Knife ready to swing. With his swing, Ninten felt some liquid splatter onto his face, but immediately jumped back.

 _'That was close,'_ he remarked to himself, seeing the Mecha-Drago's foot crush the area which he stood seconds ago. He didn't fancy being turned into a pancake, no sir.

The Mecha-Drago brought its eyes around to face down Ninten, its one organic eye narrowing. If Ninten could describe it right then and there, he'd probably describe it as the most hideous abomination he had ever seen. Its face seemed to be mainly mechanical, with some organic skin randomly thrown in there, and its mechanical eye nearly sent shivers up his spine.

He could also sense his PSI was reacting to something, but he didn't know what, and he couldn't really think on it in the middle of a battle. He knew it was something familiar, he knew that for a fact.

A sudden PK Love Beta crashing into the side of his adversary's face prevented him from staring at the ugly face any longer than he had to.

The Mecha-Drago was sent tumbling into the wall again with a startled roar. The Mecha-Drago hit the floor soon after, and struggled to stand. Ninten noticed Lucas getting ready to charge and promptly grabbed his shoulder.

"No; don't underestimate your foes, no matter what," he told his friend.

Lucas frowned but backed off. Sure enough, the Mecha-Drago rose once again, looking even more pissed off than before. Ninten took a step back, unnerved at the beating this thing has taken, and yet still able to get up and fight. The Mecha-Drago seemed to grin for a moment, showing off its hideous teeth...and one of them was missing.

Apparently, Lucas must have realized something he didn't because he gasped right then. "What is it?" Ninten urgently asked.

"That...That missing tooth...That was in the same spot...The same spot as the one who...got my mother...That's the one who killed my family!" Ninten watched as Lucas's face turned from shock to rage.

"No! Lucas, don't-" Ninten's pleas didn't even register in Lucas's brain, or he deliberately ignored them. The blonde PSI user charged with a furious roar head-on at the Mecha-Drago, a PK Love forming in his hands as he closed. Nearly in a panic, Ninten hastily put a Shield Alpha over his friend, and not a moment too soon. The Mecha-Drago swiped one of its arms at the enraged boy and sent him into a nasty flight into a wall.

Ninten winced. _'Even with the shield, I'm not sure if he'd survive that,'_ he groaned mentally.

It seemed as though the Mecha-Drago was intelligent enough to ignore Lucas for the time being and focus on Ninten. It let out a roar as it charged once again, snapping its jaws.

Ninten was forced onto the defensive, unable to get in close enough in between the Mecha-Drago's arsenal. He would move back from the jaws, which would put him out of attack range. Jumping over its head was too risky due to its massive mouth, strafing to the side nearly got him bashed by the tail, and charging head on was suicide.

Not to mention his lasers, given that Ninten had just been sent flying by the blast from one. He hit the ground hard, crying out in pain. Fortunately, he was able to get back up fairly quickly, but he knew he was reaching his limit. He coughed and saw that blood was mixed in with his spit. That attack did a number on him.

He looked back up at the Mecha-Drago, witnessing it charging up another shot. There was no way that he could evade that by any sort of conventional means. He would get caught in the blast radius anyway unless it hit the wall or something, so no matter what the Mecha-Drago was going to wear him down even if he could avoid suffering a direct hit.

But 4th D-Slip was anything but conventional.

Ninten smirked as he used his remaining signature move, vanishing from sight and touch. The beam passed through where he was before he used his technique. The Mecha-Drago roared seemingly in confusion upon realizing its prey had disappeared from sight. However, Ninten had immediately sprinted toward the Drago, feet pulsating with charged PSI energy. The veteran sprinted around the Mecha-Drago, to its rear, and used that built-up PSI energy to jump higher than he normally would've been able too, right on top of its head as soon as he became tangible again.

He quickly hooked his legs around the Mecha-Drago as far as they could go, both of his arms copying (his Giant Knife was in its sheath) as he braced himself for the reaction. Sure enough, the Mecha-Drago roared as it began to thrash around, swinging its clawed hands inches above the hitchhiker. However, it couldn't keep it up for long, and its thrashing got weaker.

Now was the time to strike.

Ninten carefully drew his Giant Knife from its sheath, making sure not to fall off. He set his eyes upon his target, and clutched the hilt with both of his hands. His heart pounded as he raised it up, pointing directly at its target.

With a cry, Ninten thrust the Giant Knife right through the one organic eye. He felt it hit something beyond, and sure enough, the Mecha-Drago jerked and let out a last roar in agony, and then fell.

Ninten hung onto the hilt of his Giant Knife despite his bloodied hands as he felt gravity take effect. He let go just as soon as he felt the impact on the ground, sending him off of the corpse.

He wearily stood up from his position on the ground, turning around to examine his handiwork. He had a sense of small satisfaction, knowing a dangerous weapon that the Pigmasks could use had been compromised.

On the other, he felt guilty for taking its life in such a gruesome fashion. At least it was quick. He recalled reading that Dragos were friendly creatures under normal circumstances. Given how it was located in their base and it was referred to by 'D-1', he assumed the Pigmasks were the ones behind that. How that poor Drago must have suffered...

He sighed. Well, it can't be changed now; he couldn't simply go back in time. But he still needed to get his Giant Knife back and then he and Lucas would-

Lucas!

Ninten swore under his breath, cursing his stupidity at forgetting his wounded friend completely during the battle! Lucas could've very well died from that attack, being flung into the wall at that speed despite having a shield over him. He forced himself to swallow his feelings of guilt; Lucas wouldn't be saved by self-pity.

"Lucas?" he called, glancing around the room to search for any sign of him. He heard incoherent groaning coming from a corner, and he quickly rushed over.

"Lucas!" he yelled as he glanced over Lucas's state. Being unconscious wasn't the worst that happened; he had some blood running down the side of his head and it appeared that the Mecha-Drago's claws had done their damage, given the tears on his clothes and the pool of blood forming underneath his friend's body.

"No, no, no!" Ninten cried, nearly unable to accept the reality before him, half believing it to be a hallucination. But it was right before his eyes, and this wasn't the first time he saw death.

Lucas...didn't have long to live. Not without medical attention.

There was no way he could get him that.

"Lucas..." he whispered, shaking his head sadly. He should've known better than to bring him along. Did he honestly think that just over one week of training would be enough? Without proper discipline or experience? He would've been safer at Tazmily. Ninten was foolish to bring him along; at least Lucas could've lived his life, found happiness, helped the town...But no. He just _had_ to take him away from his life and now that was about to take his life.

Ninten hung his head in shame. There was truly nothing he could do. Without his PSI, he could not save him. He recalled how he reacted when he learned of the death of one of his closest friends in Summers. That hit him very hard, but at least now he wasn't losing his mind as he was then. Still, there was no way he could ever adjust to losing a friend.

He felt his PSI react, causing him to flinch in shock. That got him out of his thoughts and into a new one: _'What the heck was that?'_ he wondered, looking around. He felt his PSI Core pulsate briefly, and turned around.

He saw the Mecha-Drago's corpse glowing, glowing emerald green no less. _'The same color as my PSI Signature,'_ Ninten realized. Then, he wondered where that came from. He proceeded to shove the thought entirely to the back of his head as he used his PSI Senses to peer into the cause of that light.

He recoiled in shock upon realizing what exactly it was.

 _'How is that possible?'_ Ninten's mind raced in alarm. _'How could that be...part of my PSI Core?'_

At that exact moment, his Giant Knife shot out from where it was stuck and was sent spinning across the air, landing on the ground with a clatter close by to Ninten, who promptly picked it up, his attention focused on the green orb that shot out from where his weapon used to be.

The veteran stared at the orb, uncertain about what to do. However, he didn't need to do anything.

The orb shot right towards him, connecting with his chest. Ninten flinched, expecting pain due to the sheer velocity it hurdled toward him. But it didn't come. As Ninten recovered, he felt something...warm in his chest. He glanced down, seeing no signs of damage other than the warmth that seemed to spread across his body, reminding him of what it was like when his PSI was first awakened.

But was that orb really...part of his PSI Core?

 _'Only one way to find out,'_ he reasoned, calling upon his PSI energy to determine what techniques he had regained, if any. Indeed, he had regained several, but none pleased him more than a certain one.

He knelt down next to Lucas again and whispered, "Lifeup Alpha." To his pleasure, he felt PSI energy build up within his hand, it glowing in response to the flow. He gave a rare gentle smile as he gradually waved it across Lucas, healing his wounds. He watched as the blood flow ceased and his scratches heal. However, Lucas still had lost a lot of blood, which Ninten would have to try to rectify.

He frowned as he focused, knowing that too much of this could mean disaster. Gradually, Ninten was able to restore some of the blood lost to the Mecha-Drago. He stopped before long, and looked at Lucas, satisfied with his patch-up job. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.

 _'Still, that was a lucky break,'_ he remarked, sighing in relief. Lucas would survive now, and he'd be able to return to the fight. Still, Ninten would have to have a talk with him about this, and how not to have to go through something like this again.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it Ninten?"

* * *

Ninten whipped around, whipping his bloodied Giant Knife around, pointing at the new arrival.

His eyes widened briefly in shock, recognizing the new arrival. "You?" he said.

"Who else could it be?"

Ninten's emotion turned from shock to anger and suspicion, and his eyes narrowed accordingly. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Following orders from my superiors," the girl replied coldly. "Care to guess who?"

"The Pigmasks, right?"

"It seems like you are as bright as ever..."

"You actually turned traitor? What do you hope to gain by that?" Ninten yelled. "I never knew you to be the most obedient, but I cannot believe you actually would do that..."

"It wouldn't have come to this if everyone can get through their _damn heads_ that PSI users are people too," the girl retorted.

"So you actually believe that by going to war, you can simply fix their perspectives?" Ninten paraphrased incredulously. "What gave you that idea in the first place?"

"Once the Pigmasks take over, we will do away with every law restricting PSI users in their freedom," the girl answered.

"Kumatora, you know as well as I do that neither one of our actions will actually help remove the prejudice," Ninten stated. "Even without the laws, the people have a will of their own. Yes, you can intimidate them all you want, but show _once crack of weakness_ and that will give them hope. Unless you can crush that, it will expand, and I have a feeling you know what happens from there."

"You honestly believe I'm that foolish?" Kumatora sneered. "I know as well as you do that won't be the end. That's why I'm aiming to repeal the laws; the very first step towards that goal. Simply acting out to force the repeals won't work; many of the city-states's governments are too corrupt and the monarchy is too weak. War is our only option."

Ninten glared. "So dragging down all of humanity into the dust is worth this?"

"We will end this war with as quickly and bloodlessly as we can," Kumatora said. "Trust me; it won't doom all of us."

"...No matter what I say, it won't convince you, will it?" Ninten realized. Kumatora's silence only served to convince him. "...So be it."

"You know, I'm impressed by your battle just now," Kumatora admitted, changing the subject. "As you must have realized by now, I infused it with part of your PSI Core to give it additional power. And even with your friend there knocked out..." she glanced at Lucas, "...you were still able to kill it. You have gotten much better over the years, haven't you?"

"Spare me the flattery," Ninten growled. "I'm sure I know your reason for being here, so let's not waste any more time. You've seen my skills, now let me see yours," Ninten challenged.

Kumatora stared at Ninten. "...My orders were to try to kill you and anyone accompanying you," Kumatora told him. "The key word in there was 'try'. I have already done that. You survived, and thus, you deserve to live...for now." She scowled. "I cannot guarantee the same amount of luck the next time we meet. Besides, I have something important to look into now." She turned around. "...You know, you could always join us, establish equality for all PSI users, and be free of the corrupt governments and insolent mobs."

Ninten stared at Kumatora. "You should know my answer already," he told her.

"So be it," Kumatora stated. "But your naive loyalty will only hurt you in the end."

Ninten shrugged. "I've already been hurt countless times," he retorted. "What's a few more wounds gonna do?"

"...You never know," Kumatora said. Ninten watched her disappear in a flash of light. When it cleared, she was gone.

Ninten didn't expect any less.

* * *

Lucas groaned as awareness returned to him, though his head was spinning at what seemed to be the rate of a ball hurdling down a hill. He hadn't felt this bad in years. He cracked his eyes open to take in the dimly lit room that he was in, though his mind seemed to be slow processing everything.

"I see you're up."

Lucas turned his half-open eyes to face his friend. "Ninten," Lucas said as he tried to sit up.

Ninten replied by pushing him back down onto whatever he was laying on. "No, don't move," Ninten told him. "You took quite a beating in the battle. I'm surprised you woke up so quickly."

"What...What happened?" Lucas asked, trying to recall the events that transpired.

"We went up against a Mecha-Drago who was responsible for your injuries," Ninten explained. "And when I say nasty, I mean near _fatal._ It was only due to luck that you survived that."

"Luck?"

Ninten nodded. "Apparently the Drago was infused with a part of my fractured PSI Core, which increased its already prestigious strength," the veteran said. "When it was defeated, the core was released and rejoined me, and I regained a few PSI techniques. Lifeup was responsible for saving your life."

Lucas shook his head as he regained full awareness. He glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings. They appeared to be in a room, most likely in the base. Lucas felt the wood underneath him and looked down, seeing a desk underneath him. Lucas also took this opportunity to look over his wounds. He saw his shirt torn by several claws and more resembled rags at this point. It didn't help that it was stained with blood, but his shorts got away with only a little dirtying.

Looking at his friend, Lucas realized Ninten also took a bit of punishment. Ninten had blood all over him that stained his own clothes, plus he also was covered in quite a bit of grime.

"Yeah, we look like hell, don't we?" Ninten chuckled. "PSI can heal wounds, but it can't really fix anything else," he said. "Figures, a power that is the bane of so many, yet can't even be used to do household chores. It's sad."

The veteran cleared his throat. "By the way, we really need to talk."

"Why?" Lucas asked.

"Do you know what happened to cause your injuries?" Ninten asked.

Lucas's brow furrowed as he tried to recall what had transpired. "I don't remember anything other than the foe we went up against," Lucas frowned.

"Do you remember the missing tooth the Drago had?" Ninten inquired.

"Yeah, I think I do recall something like that-" Lucas froze as that registered. Now he remembered seeing that, and how a rush of anger flooded him. He couldn't remember very much after that though, other than being flung across the room like a rag doll. "I remember being angry...But nothing after that," Lucas said.

"In the midst of your anger, you lost your head," Ninten bluntly told him. "You charged straight at him, disregarding your safety, resulting in your injuries."

Ninten sighed as he continued. "Lucas, for the first part of the battle, you were fine. Yes, you got slammed with its tail once, but you were able to quickly recover from that. However, as soon as you realized who that Drago was...you became reckless when you lost yourself to your emotions. That nearly cost you your life."

Lucas sighed as he looked down, knowing Ninten was right. The inexperienced teen felt hot shame well up in him at Ninten's analysis of his actions. How could he have been so stupid? He thought he learned from Claus, where his hasty thinking cost him his life. And now, he realized he didn't. He allowed himself to be caught up in his emotions, something Ninten said _not_ to, and made that exact same blunder. That would've meant Ninten would be fighting alone until he reached Eagleland's military, and without someone else to help him, he could die from that.

"Lucas, revenge is hard to resist, I get that," Ninten said, interrupting Lucas's thoughts. "I've seen vengeful desires before, and believe me...nothing good comes from taking out feelings of vengeance and grudges against others. It's hard to move past this, but it is necessary."

"But...How can I when I lose control of myself like I did there?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know, but we'll find a way," Ninten reassured him.

"How do you know?"

"I know because I found a way, and I've seen others find their ways." Ninten held a hand out to him. "So..."

Lucas stared at it for a moment, debating about whether or not to do something or wallow in his self-pity.

It was no contest.

The blonde teen smiled as he took his hand, and sat up with Ninten's help. Lucas swung his legs over the side of the desk as he pondered Ninten's words. Yes, it wasn't going to be easy. Yes, he would mess up sometimes. But yes, he was willing to try.

"Thanks," Lucas said. Then he realized he needed to ask about something since plans could've changed by this battle. "So what do we do now?" he asked.

"Fortunately, I managed to find a map that was conveniently marked in this room," Ninten said as he opened up the map in question. "We're currently here," he gestured to a small dot on the map that was labeled, 'HQ'. "If we keep marching west, we'll hit the province of Winters before sundown if we set off first thing tomorrow. We'll try to reach here before night falls," Ninten gestured to another dot labeled 'Snowman'. "The next day we'll try to reach one of the few railroads left in operation to get to the providential capital."

"Winters sounds really cold," Lucas observed, and then regretted his words since they sounded stupid.

Ninten smirked. "That's why they call it that; it's famous for its cold temperatures throughout the year," he explained. "Fortunately, we have clothing left behind that we can use. Even though they are a few sizes too big, they should work."

Lucas nodded. "Okay then, let's go."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there," Ninten cautioned. "I said we'd make it if we moved out tomorrow, not right now. Besides, you need rest; even Lifeup can't completely reverse all the damage done with that attack."

Lucas sighed, realizing his friend was right again. "How are you _right_ all of the time?" he asked.

"Well, I've been wrong plenty of times before. I just learned from them as well as the mistakes of others," Ninten answered.

* * *

 **That's that. Well, hope you all liked it. Next week shall come the next chapter unless something happens or Twilight Princess takes away too much of my time. Let's hope I don't become too obsessed with it.**

 **Have a great day, and thank you for reading!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _PSI Detector: A technology dating from the PSI Wars that is still around, albeit it is quite uncommon due to not only the cost but also a lack of materials necessary to make them and a shortage of production facilities to construct them. It is supposed to detect any sort of PSI technique used in a certain radius depending on its power. This makes it a necessity on major political and military installations to detect any possible intruders or saboteurs._

 _4th-D Slip mechanics: The technique PK 4th-D Slip is quite an unusual move. The only person that has been known to use this advanced technique is Lieutenant Ninten Fubiki. Using this move not only makes him invisible, but also intangible, enabling him to slip out of dangerous situations and either flee or launch a counterattack. Oddly enough, he can't phase through floors or walls, and even he doesn't understand how it exactly works. Ninten isn't one of the stronger PSI users, but he is among one of the most deadly because of this._

 _PSI Senses: Every PSI user has what could be said...heightened senses due to their PSI, much like how they are more physically capable than the average person their age. However, included is a 'sixth sense' of being able to detect traces of PSI energy, or sense other minds via telepathy. This requires focus and therefore is not very practical in the middle of a chaotic battle, but it is very good for tracking and overall sensing everything around the PSI user. Only issue is that the 'sixth sense' requires the use of PSI energy, so sustained use is not recommended without a substantial pool of reserve PSI energy._


	7. Arc 1: Awfully Cold Spring

**Hi everyone, and hope you're having a good day so far. Well, another chapter is up and...is more filler than anything, but still. Anyway, I'm just letting you know that if you find something that you don't like or feel offended by in the story, please let me know. I'd be more than happy to** **address any of your concerns. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Review Responses**

 **Guest:** Well, you certainly are quite energetic in every single one of your reviews, aren't you? I'm glad you love this, and the 4th-D Slip mechanics. And sure, go ahead and use it: I don't mind at all. Nothing in this is copyrighted except that the characters and locations are owned by Nintendo outside any original locations/characters. As for Lucas, well he'll learn over time. I'm trying to avoid too much torture, but as you can see...yeah, there's more angst in this than I originally anticipated. And yeah, it's probably for the best to avoid getting into hot water if you can help it. See ya!

 **Connor the speling pro:** Hey hey hey to you too! Well, I'm glad you thought the Kuma part was interesting. I'm trying to aim for more of a 'gray' morality between the two sides, which more will come in future chapters...except there might be more white or black depending on the faction. And I welcome critical comments as long as they aren't flames, so feel free to suggest them!

I didn't even notice I was doing the blow-by-blow action...Man. Well, I'll be more careful about that in the future, thanks for letting me know. But the 'sounding like teenagers' comment you'll probably make a million more times to me. This chapter...I probably won't be able to get all of these moments since I only got your review a day before this posted, but I did my best in editing and I'll continue to try in later chapters.

I honestly have an easier time with being critical as well. And don't worry, I'm open to suggestions and I can see where you're coming from with both aspects. If it helps me, then I'm all ears. See ya!

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fic other than the plot and OCs.**

* * *

"H-How much l-l-longer until w-we're o-o-out of this b-bloody c-c-cold?" Lucas asked through chattering teeth as they slogged through ankle-high snow, wishing for time to speed up.

"It s-shouldn't be long b-before we reach Snowman!" Ninten replied. "N-Not more than another h-half hour if we're n-not lost!" It was apparent that he wasn't faring much better against the cold than Lucas was.

As to plan, they entered Winters early in the morning with clothing 'stolen' from the abandoned base, despite being too big for either of them. At first, it wasn't that bad. But then they hit the snow, and for over an hour they've struggled through the harsh environment, hoping to reach Snowman before they froze.

"I-It's hard to believe t-that this is t-technically spring with this kind of w-weather," Ninten muttered.

"You're kidding!" Lucas cried in disbelief. "T-That's impossible!"

"You s-see the impossible before your e-eyes," Ninten said. "The c-climate's been like this since t-the wars. Nearly year r-round for them."

"H-How can _anyone_ l-live like t-t-this!?"

"They just make t-the best of it a-and adjust," Ninten replied. He looked around. "The a-animals like the c-cold as much as we do."

"I-I'm glad Boney d-d-didn't come a-along then," Lucas said. "He'd b-b-be whining the e-entire time."

"You can s-say that again." Ninten's gaze shifted forward and he stopped.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked, charging his PSI up.

"I see light," Ninten answered. "S-Someone's up a-ahead. H-Hopefully we can ask for d-directions in case we're n-not going towards Snowman."

"Well t-t-then, what are w-we waiting for?" Lucas called impatiently, already breaking into a run.

He heard Ninten mutter something, but glanced back to see him too start to run to keep up. Within seconds, they burst into the clearing and slowed down as the person holding up the lantern turned towards them, eyes widening.

"What are you two doing out here in that kind of clothing?" the woman asked before glancing at Ninten. "And what's with that...thing on your back?"

"W-We were hoping to r-reach the providential capital," Ninten answered. "W-We were heading for S-Snowman as a stop for the n-night; we know better t-than to hope to r-reach Fiveopilis today. As for m-my weapon...given conditions in t-the wilderness, I would rather be c-cautious than to die. B-But I am also trained w-with this, or else I-I wouldn't be carrying it."

"Okay...But you still came this way on foot, without an adult, _and_ with that kind of clothing?" she questioned incredulously, most likely thinking they were crazy.

"W-We didn't h-h-have much of a-a choice," Lucas growled through chattering teeth.

The woman sighed as she shook her head. "Well, I guess I can hear your reasoning later," she conceded. "Fortunately, town's not too far away. You two were heading in the general direction, but there's a quicker way to shelter."

"T-Then please point us i-in the right d-direction," Ninten declared.

"But first, we should introduce ourselves," the woman said. "I'm Kristen."

"I'm N-Ninten, and t-this is Lucas," Ninten replied. "Nice t-to meet you, Kristen."

"Nice to meet you Ninten, and you too Lucas," Kristen replied. "Now come along."

"Y-Y-You sure we c-can trust her?" Lucas whispered as the woman began to walk forward, the boys falling in line.

"If s-she was a Pigmask, s-she would have to a lot b-better than that. We c-can easily escape i-if it's a trap," Ninten reasoned.

"I guess," Lucas shrugged.

* * *

Ana absentmindedly twirled one of her pigtails around her finger, deeply immersed in thought. Her mother had gone out several hours ago to try to fetch some herbs from a nearby town, but she hadn't returned yet. Even though trips like the one her mother was taking would take several hours at best, Ana couldn't help but fret about her, especially with their guest's condition. Paula was getting better, but it didn't seem that anything they would do could help her at all, whether it be medicine or PSI. However, there were a few that they haven't tried, and the herbs were necessary to make one of them.

Ana replaced the towel on Paula's forehead, despite knowing it would do little good. She was tempted to go and read her book, but she just set it down after over an hour of reading. She needed a break from both it and fretting over her friend's health.

She settled for kneeling down onto the floor, clasping her hands in prayer. She prayed for her mother's safe return, and prayed that her friend would be rid of this illness soon.

 _'That's all I can do...'_ she thought dejectedly as she stood back up and left the room. She was not used to this feeling of utter helplessness, given that her PSI was able to heal every injury and illness her parents had suffered over the years, though not severe. This must be beyond her abilities to cure, and that made her question her self-worth. Nevertheless, Paula needed privacy and rest to recover.

However, she didn't know that Paula had woken up just seconds after she left the room.

* * *

"Well, welcome to Winters," Kristen gestured to the entrance...and the snow that covered just about every inch of the place. "Quite a sight isn't it?" she asked.

"F-For anybody not living in Winters, i-it is," Ninten replied.

"I...I've never s-seen so m-m-much snow b-before," Lucas gaped, eyes glancing just about everywhere.

"You saw a l-lot on the way here, didn't you?" Ninten asked.

"I-I meant n-not in a t-town," Lucas corrected. "I-It looks pretty g-good m-m-mixed with the b-buildings...i-in my o-o-opinion."

Kristen laughed. "That's the answer we get from most people that come through here," she said. "It's the one thing every visitor remembers about Snowman; all the snow all over the place."

"I-I can see why," Lucas mumbled, still taken aback by it all.

"I bet the o-one thing people remember a-about Winters in general, i-is how freaking c-cold you are all the time," Ninten remarked.

"Well, when you live in it every day, it's not as bad. Sure, it's still miserable sometimes, but I'm not shivering like sticks like you two are," Kristen said.

The trio fell into silence for the next several minutes, simply observing Snowman in general. Lucas liked how the snow seemed to glisten in the lights outside and the quaint but cozy-looking houses. He supposed that if he got used to it he wouldn't mind living in Snowman...if they were more tolerant of people, that is.

"H-Hey Ninten," Lucas broke the silence. "Didn't you s-say something a-a-about year round snow i-in Winters?" he asked.

"This part, yes," Ninten replied. "I-I read about it a f-few years back. T-This is why the town is c-called Snowman given a-all the snow. But v-very few parts of Winters a-actually suffers from an everlasting w-winter."

"I may live here, but I can't help but sometimes want warmer temperatures for once," Kristen confessed. "I kinda like the cold, but not as much as others," she gestured to a group of kids nearby in the midst of a snowball fight.

Lucas couldn't resist cracking a small smile. His mind drifted back to years long past, where he and Claus would play in the snow and build snowmen. Then, they would join up with the other village kids for snowball fights and other games. He remembered being on sleds with his parents as well.

How he wished sometimes he could go back, or even forget what happened.

However, Lucas was snapped out of his musings due to Ninten and Kristen's renewed conversation. "...northwest of h-here," he heard Ninten say.

"Ah, I see," Kristen replied. "Never really heard of it, but it's really far enough away to be outside the snow areas?"

Ninten nodded. "Natural phenomena t-that no one has cracked yet," he admitted.

"Interesting...so where are you from?" Kristen asked.

"Castle Town."

"What? All the way from _there?"_ Kristen gaped. "That's at _least_ a few days' walk from here...and yet you had time to go up there to meet Lucas, and then come here?"

"Compared to e-everything that I've seen recently, i-it's not the most outlandish t-thing that's happened," Ninten remarked.

"Well, not sure if it's related, but we are also taking care of another person from Castle Town," Kristen told him.

"What?"

"Pretty sure it's a coincidence, but I found out enough from her. Poor kid, losing her family and friends."

Ninten nodded. "I'm had a p-pretty difficult time processing it m-myself at first."

"I a-also had difficulty a-accepting that as well," Lucas agreed.

Kristen turned her head back forward. "Okay, we're here!" she announced. "Your inn for the night, and home sweet home for me."

"Finally," Lucas said. "Time to g-get out of t-this b-b-blasted cold."

* * *

"Okay, you two can take your winter gear off now," she told them as they entered. "With the fireplace blazing, it should be quite warm in here."

Ninten nodded in acknowledgement, easily shedding the heavy clothes that were laden with snow off of him, exposing his usual wear. He quickly offloaded his Giant Knife as well. Despite its usefulness in combat, it was a pain to carry long distances in the snow. He quickly took off his boots and socks; sure the boots helped, but since they were too big, snow could come inside easily and soak the socks. He glanced over at Lucas to see him doing the same thing, as well as scooting over to the fireplace. Ninten couldn't blame him; the fireplace looked sorely tempting to him, grabbing a blanket to wrap himself in.

Nevertheless, he couldn't resist a smirk at the sight of Lucas curling up right next to the fire as he sat down next to it to warm up as well, virtually in a cocoon made of blankets. "You l-look like a sleeping baby," he teased after a few moments, not shivering as much anymore as he used his PSI to help warm himself up faster.

He chuckled at his friend's glare, accompanied by blushing cheeks. "Shut up!" Lucas snapped. Sadly for him, Ninten's smirk did not disappear.

"Ana! I'm home!" Kristen called, causing their attention to be diverted to the parent.

"Mom! You're okay!" a girl cried as she entered the room.

Kristen chuckled as she hugged her. "You fret too much for your own good, Ana," she told her. "Don't worry, I have the herbs. I'll go make the medicine now. It shouldn't take too long."

"Okay," Ana nodded. Ninten's gaze focused on her as he sensed an all-too familiar sensation radiating from her. _'She must be a PSI user too,'_ Ninten concluded. He glanced over at Lucas to see a similar reaction, not that he was surprised. In fact, Ana turned her head towards them right then and there, her expression mirroring theirs.

"Oh right, I was about to tell you I found these two wandering outside," Kristen explained. "They'll be staying for the night, just letting you know."

"Okay, thanks for telling me," Ana said. Kristen went into another room with the herbs clutched in her hands, leaving the three alone with only the crackling fire providing any sort of noise. "Hi, I'm Ana," she greeted as she faced the duo. "I-It's nice to meet you two."

"Nice to meet you Ana," Ninten said. "My name is Ninten."

"I'm L-Lucas," the other boy promptly chimed in, not quite over his shivers yet.

"Pardon me for asking...but are you two PSI users?" Ana asked.

Ninten nodded. "Yes, we are I presume you're one too?"

"I am," Ana confirmed as she glanced at where exactly they were sitting. "I take it you two want to relax by the fireplace?" Ana said.

"He's fallen in love with it," Ninten remarked as he looked at Lucas.

"I told you to shut up," Lucas deadpanned.

Ana giggled slightly. "Well, um...do you mind if I stay with you two?" she asked.

"Go ahead, we don't mind," Ninten said.

"Thank you," Ana bowed slightly as she took a seat. "So where are you two from?" she asked.

"Well, Lucas is from Tazmily Village, a small town just northwest of here...several days' worth of travel," Ninten answered.

"Ninty is from Castle Town," Lucas chimed in.

Ninten glared at Lucas in irritation as he noticed Ana struggling not to laugh. "Don't start calling me what your dog did," he growled. "Oh wait, that's revenge for calling you a sleeping baby earlier, wasn't it?"

Lucas grinned, but it waned slightly as Ninten smirked with a retort up his sleeve. "Then I hope you don't mind me calling you _Lukey."_

Ninten gave a triumphant chuckle as Lucas directed a death glare at his friend and Ana finally burst out laughing. This situation caused Ninten's chuckles to turn into laughs, for the first time in months. A few seconds of glaring later, Lucas could no longer resist the temptation within him, and began to chuckle at what happened and at the sight of his friends. It too gradually turned into laughter as well.

* * *

When Kristen entered the room with the now-prepared medicine in a cup, she witnessed the sight of all three teenagers rolling around on the floor practically laughing their guts out.

She cracked a small smile at the sight of her daughter enjoying herself with the guests, and decided not to intervene. Her smile did not fade as she ascended the flight of stairs and entered one of the guest rooms they had.

As she shut the door behind her, she noticed the sole occupant sitting up in the bed. "Hello Mrs. Cooper," she greeted.

"Hello Paula," Kristen greeted. "Even though you really don't have to call me by my last name," she told her.

"It's just good...etiquette that my parents taught me," Paula replied.

Kristen smiled. While she could have gone without the elaborate manners this girl demonstrated, the mother could not deny how well her parents must have raised her to be so polite, yet confident. "Well, here's the herbs I promised," she said, handing the cup to her guest. "Hopefully they'll help."

"Thank you," Paula said before bringing the cup up to her face and tipping its contents into her mouth. Kristen noticed her cringe as the medicine entered her mouth, which the mother couldn't blame her guest; she remembered that the herb was supposed to be quite bitter. However, she drank it all and set the cup down on the side of the bed.

"By the way, we have some other guests for tonight," Kristen informed the girl. "You know, it's quite odd on how many people seem to be traveling through here. Usually there are nowhere near as many...but given what happened, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. One of the two did come from Castle Town...but I have to wonder about what he was carrying. Who would have let someone so young lug around such a large sword on his back?"

"Wait...a large sword?" Paula inquired. "What...did it look like? No, scratch that. Who was the person who owned it?"

Kristen's brow furrowed in confusion. "It was a young boy named Ninten," she answered. "Why?"

* * *

After several minutes, the living room fell silent as the three teens caught their breaths. Fortunately, none of them exploded into more laughter looking at each other like the last few times.

"...That was funnier than it should have been," Lucas deadpanned.

"Maybe, but you also looked quite smug in calling me a remarkably similar name," Ninten pointed out.

"After you called me a baby," Lucas retorted.

"You have to admit, you really looked like one when you curled up by the fire," Ninten pointed out.

Lucas opened his mouth to retort, but footsteps interrupted his unsaid words, causing him to turn his attention towards Kristen, who was walking down towards them.

"Ninten?" she called.

"Yes Kristen, what is it?" Ninten replied.

"...There's someone who wants to see you," Kristen informed him.

"Who?" the raven-haired teen questioned.

"The other person staying here. Her name is Paula," Kristen said.

At the mention of his best friend's name, the veteran flew to his feet. "Paula?" he gasped.

Kristen nodded. "Yes, she's upstairs in the guest room," she told him.

"Where's the guest room?" Ninten asked.

"I can show you right now," the mother replied. "Follow me." Kristen turned around and ascended the stairs, Ninten quickly falling in right behind her. Lucas exchanged a glance with Ana.

"...Does he know for certain that this 'Paula' is actually his friend?" Lucas asked.

"Well, she did want to see him," Ana pointed out. "She probably wouldn't ask for him if she didn't know him at all."

"Good point," Lucas said as he stood up and followed his friend up, Ana right behind him.

* * *

Ninten entered the bedroom just behind the adult, eager to see his best friend again. His excitement was barely contained (despite his stoic disposition) as he quickly glanced around the room for any sign of his friend.

And there she was, on the bed but sitting up. "Ninten?" Paula asked, squinting as though he was an illusion.

"Yes Paula, it's me," Ninten said, walking up to the bed and sitting on a chair close to it.

Paula smiled. "You're safe...good," she whispered.

It was then Ninten noticed something wrong with her. Despite having to be prim and proper as the princess, she usually had more energy than this. "Paula, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I-It's nothing major...don't worry yourself about it," Paula reassured...but it was ruined by the coughing fit that took ahold of her immediately after she finished.

As soon as she recovered, Ninten placed a hand on her forehead. "Paula, you're ill," he told her, although he figured Paula already knew and just tried to shrug it off. Sometimes that girl was more stubborn than what was good for her. He made a mental note to ask her later about the illness she had.

"So Ninten's the friend you talked about," Ana said, whom sat on the edge of the bed.

Paula nodded. "Yeah, he's been by my side for years, and me at his," she replied. "I'm glad he made it out; I wouldn't know what to do otherwise."

"Oh come on," Ninten shook his head. "You've got to give yourself more credit. Even if you are the princess, you are a far more capable leader than most I've seen."

The veteran noticed her eyes widen in a panic, and frowned in confusion. But then he looked at the other occupants. Lucas didn't seem surprised, given that he talked about Paula with him already, but Ana and Kristen were staring at them with wide eyes.

"She's the princess?" Kristen blurted out.

"...You...didn't tell them?" he questioned the princess.

Paula sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "...I didn't," she admitted.

"Why?"

"It's because...after what happened, I felt...as though I didn't deserve the title." Paula glanced away, unable to make eye contact.

"Paula, this isn't the princess I know," Ninten said. "Why do you feel this way?"

"It's because I fled without a fight!" she cried. "I'm the princess; I'm _supposed_ to be someone that people can look up to, someone that they can put their confidence in. But...I couldn't help anyone. I just sat in the throne room, nearly terrified, and when we made our escape, I couldn't even help you against your opponent! Face, it, I'm not a leader..."

"Might not have then, but what about now?" Ninten asked. "Paula, you are going to make mistakes; that much is guaranteed. But this mistake...it's different. As I said earlier, you are the hope for the future now, and you needlessly throwing your life away in a losing battle wouldn't help anything. Remember what the Royal Family is supposed to symbolize; unity and hope. And besides, you can make up for that." Paula lifted her head back up at that. "You can lead the troops on the battlefield, and participate in some of the fighting...as long as you don't get killed. But I doubt you will. After all, who was the one who trained you?" Ninten smirked.

Paula rolled her eyes as she smirked. "Of _course_ you would boost your self-esteem with this opportunity, _Ninty,"_ she joked; seemingly out of her depression.

Ninten scowled as the other occupants chuckled or giggled. "My self-esteem is high enough without having to help you with this," he replied. "Any more and it'd rub off on you." But then his offended look changed to one of concern. "But speaking of you...what happened during the time we were separated?" he asked.

"I think I should be asking _you_ first, given you have met someone that I don't know at all," Paula pointed out, gesturing to Lucas.

"I was talking about your illness," Ninten said. _"Then_ we can catch up."

Paula sighed, and Ninten knew he had her. There was no way he was gonna let her out of this unless she admitted what was ailing her.

"...A PSI Virus," Paula murmured, so quietly Ninten almost didn't hear.

Ninten's eyes widened in a mixture of dread and worry as he realized what this meant. "Shit," he muttered.

"What's a PSI Virus?" Lucas inquired.

"It's a virus specifically for PSI users," Ninten answered. "It results from the PSI Core building up too much 'bad', or harmful PSI. It isn't deadly most of the time, but it makes the person feel like they had a really bad cold. It does not feel good at all. Furthermore, there is _no cure_ for it."

"What?" Lucas, Ana, and Kristen all gasped. "You can't be serious!" Lucas continued.

"I'm afraid I am," Ninten replied. "The only way for Paula to be completely rid of the virus is for her to naturally process it out."

"So...there's nothing we can do to help?" Ana questioned.

"There is one way to help treat a virus, but it requires a lot of skills and multiple applications to have any noticeable effect," Ninten said. "It requires a PSI user skilled at energy manipulation to be able to siphon as much of the 'bad' PSI that causes the virus out. However, this is very dangerous; only ones under heavy supervision or a lot of experience would be safe in pulling this off, since I cannot differentiate 'bad' PSI and 'good' PSI, and could take too much of the good, and/or not enough of the bad."

"So...would you be able to accomplish that?" Lucas asked.

Ninten nodded. "I should, provided that everything goes according to plan...and if I get a stone to store all the energy in...though it will be destroyed soon after." He turned to his friend and asked, "Do I have your permission to do this?"

Paula nodded. "The sooner I get out of this bed, the better," she replied.

"You can use one of my stones," Ana offered as she opened a drawer and pulled a stone out. "I used to collect stones when I was younger, so don't worry about destroying it; I have plenty."

"Thank you," Ninten said as Ana put the stone in his hand. He turned back to Paula and asked, "Ready?"

The princess nodded and closed her eyes in response. Ninten took a deep breath due to nervousness, and then placed one hand gently on Paula's forehead, his hand glowing in emerald green.

In response, Paula began to radiate ocean blue, the two colors mixing with each other in quite the display of power. Ninten felt a drop of sweat run down his head, but he kept focus. He had to, or else there was no telling what might happen if he messed up, blocking out the images if what might happen if he failed. He saw a buildup of Paula's PSI around the area where his hand made contact, which began to climb up onto his hand and up his arm. From there, he felt it transfer across his shoulders to his other arm and down into the rock. He felt the rough object weakening, and thus contributed some of his own PSI energy to maintain its stability. It worked.

For several minutes, the only sound in the room was the humming of their PSI. The other occupants could only watch as Ninten's work dragged on and on.

Finally, Paula ceased glowing, reopening her eyes as Ninten drew back. His own glow also cut off not long after, the last of Paula's PSI entering the stone. It shuddered in response and within Ninten's hand, disintegrated into dust.

Ninten shook his hand out in reply. "I think that was a success," he observed.

"Thank you, Ninten," Paula replied.

"It was no problem," the veteran said. "...But now I must live up to a promise made not so long ago."

"What might that be?" Paula inquired.

"The story of what happened to me after the coup," Ninten reminded her. "So do you want the short story, the long story, or the full story?" Ninten asked.

"How about the full story?" Paula requested.

"Sorry, but I can't do that," Ninten smirked. "That would require me retelling every single second of the events, and I can quite assure you, you would not enjoy that, even if I had the memory to recall every moment of being separated."

Paula rolled her eyes. "Of course you would do that, of course you would," she muttered.

"Well of course. I mean, if I didn't keep you on your toes like this, what would the purpose of my existence be?" Ninten rhetorically asked.

"...The long version please?"

* * *

Teleporting hardly took any effort for her anymore. She remembered when she first learned how to, how afraid she was. The instructors had emphasized how dangerous improper teleportation could be, whether it be accidentally winding up one hundred feet in the air as opposed to on the ground, or losing a few limbs in transit. She liked her limbs and she didn't fancy skydiving either, so naturally she sought to master teleportation as soon as she could.

Now, she was so experienced with it that she could teleport safely at a blink of the eye, which she demonstrated as she appeared in a flash of light, right behind one of her few superiors.

"Well well well," Fassad grinned as he turned around. "You've returned earlier than expected," he observed. "How did the mission go?"

Kumatora scowled. "So you're not even gonna wait for my report?" she grumbled. "I would think that you'd get _more_ information from a report as opposed to an immediate account."

"You will _not_ treat me with such disrespect! The other times I let go because of your abilities...but this is getting out of hand. Next time you say something like that, I _will_ court-marshal you! _Do you understand me?"_ Fassad snapped.

Kumatora rolled her eyes, imagining comical steam coming out of his head. Before Fassad could rebuke her for yet another action of disrespect, she decided to just get it over with.

"Project D-One failed to kill either of them and I couldn't find a good opening to attack them again. However, they are currently traveling through Winters in the direction of Fiveopilis."

"Ah, so not even our precious defect was able to take them down," he sneered, apparently calm again. "Just goes to show you how _indefinitely_ superior the Pigmask's PSI training program is, and how so far behind the time the Royal Guard is...or should I say, _was."_

Kumatora felt a vein throb in her forehead briefly, but quickly calmed herself down. It would not end well if she lashed out here. Instead, her scowl only deepened as her gaze hardened. "But it seems like you nor Porky are the best strategists there are either," she criticized.

"You have _no right_ to talk about our king like-"

"Entire units have been spread out to several locations that are not part of the main campaign," Kumatora said. "If you released those units, we would've taken Ellay by now, but no. And for what possible purpose?"

"That is classified, even for one so high up in the chain of command," Fassad glared. "You're lucky it's out of the kindness of my heart that I don't demote you on the spot for your tongue."

Kumatora wanted to barf. Fassad actually _kind?_ She could cite so many examples that would contradict that, but she knew she was in enough trouble already. Provoking more would be akin to suicide.

"Yes sir," she submitted, despite the feelings boiling under her skin.

Fassad grinned. "Good. Now, I must report back to King P at once. We must discuss a new strategy for those pesky PSI users..."

The PSI warrior breathed a sigh of relief that he was gone as soon as the flash of light signifying his teleport faded. Still, that could've gone a lot better, and she knew it.

But since Mt. Itoi was such a valuable base for the Pigmasks not only militarily but also scientifically, there would have to be some information she could dig up about things she was curious about. Like how Project: Chimera was progressing.

That was just one example of Fassad's cruelty. He promised to her face that he would only convert animals into chimeras if they were dying or suffering in horrible ways. But now he was taking perfectly healthy animals and putting them through the process, just for more cannon-fodder to throw in. That's how Fassad viewed the entire army as, save for a few officers.

She doubted she would find any information on why her superiors insisted on scattering some of their units which were desperately needed in the main campaign or on secondary fronts like Fourside...but the chimera thing would be a start...find out what they really want with them.

She logged into her own personal computer and into the Pigmask Network on Mt. Itoi, where all the files were kept. It was time to find some answers.

* * *

 **Yeah, nothing much happened other than a few minor things...that may or may not build up into major things. Next chapter is going to be similar, but it'll probably accelerate the plot after that. Still, at least the four labeled as main characters are together, but don't worry. There will be several other major and minor characters on the way, so there'll be no shortage of characters. And we have so much ground left to cover too! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this, and have a great day!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _Fiveopilis: The providential capital of Winters, it is dominated by its climate. However, due to the buildings it feels significantly warmer than in other areas due to the lack of wind chill. This city was founded during the PSI Wars to house refugees since the mass destruction created millions of homeless people, most being killed soon after on the streets. As a result, it isn't as glamorous as other cities, but it still fulfills its function as the providential capital._

 _PSI Stones: These are unique stones that store PSI energy that any PSI user can tap into, though not to the extent as the original creator could. They replenish that PSI user's reserves of PSI energy, though the supply in the stone is far from infinite; when it runs out, it disintegrates into dust. However, not any ordinary stone can be a PSI Stone; it requires special properties to be able to store this energy, lest it be eradicated by the sheer energy concentration, though if a PSI user has good enough control, he or she can delay the collapse for several minutes._

 _PSI Warrior: A special title for PSI users who focus mainly on combat, specifically offensive PSI. These are among the best and most experienced fighters that humanity can field in battle, and are feared far and wide for their prowess. However, they tend to lack more defensive techniques in their focus on attack, so a few good hits could incapacitate them for quite a while._

 _Computer Networks: This would be the equivalent of a miniature internet for the Pigmasks. All sorts of information and valuable documents are stored on here and can easily be accessed, but only in specific locations, like the computer network of Mt. Itoi can only be accessed within the general vicinity of Mt. Itoi. The Network requires correct passwords to log on for every user, and it tracks their searches...tracks for all except for those who are either Colonels or higher. This is because the Pigmasks believe that anyone that can make it up that high has to be unconditionally loyal to the Pigmasks, but Fassad keeps them under observation in...other ways._


	8. Arc 1: Into the City

**And** **another chapter for the fic. I must say this chapter was tough for me to get out...but I'm glad I did, even if I feel it's weaker than the last. Wow, yesterday began the second month since I've first posted this fic. And on that note I have good news and bad news. Good news is that I beat Twilight Princess, so you no longer have to worry about that game taking away large chunks of my time to write! Bad news is, I started Four Swords Adventures, so now you have to worry about _that_ taking away my time. Anyway, hope you like the chapter!**

* * *

 **Review Responses**

 **Guest:** Haha, yeah, I was in a mood for humor while writing the last chapter, apparently. Oh yeah, and I think you'd be better off not calling Ninten that...or he'll bite back. Ten times as hard. And yeah, probably a good idea not to sleep while on the computer or tablet is it? In regards to Ness, I can confirm he will appear. I will not comment on anything else, but you shall see him later...Anyway, see ya!

 **Connor the speling pro:** Thanks for the compliment, though I imagine I'll struggle with that in the future at one point or another. Basically, the characters only reached a town and reunited...probably not as much as compared to others, but maybe more than some of the prologue chapters. *Shrugs* You know, I just slapped one of the first names I could think of onto Ana's mom, and that just happened to be Kristen. I didn't make the connection with your OC until later on.

The 'virus' part comes from an early misconception about where it comes from in Eagleland science. There was much debate whether the bad PSI just multiplied or they were actually produced, and for a while they just went with the 'multiply' theory, and thus they used the term 'virus' since it is the multiplication of bacteria within cells (and PSI Virus sounded way cooler than PSI Cancer). They kept the term even when it was proven wrong because it was so widely printed that it was a pain to change and it sounded cool (which was _totally_ the more important reason). I'll have to put this in if I rewrite this.

Thanks for the pointer; I'll keep that in mind. And don't worry about the caps; I didn't think you came off that way. And thanks for the humor compliment. Now that more characters are coming in, I can add in some more without them appearing to OOC...I hope. I'll respond to your PM later today. See ya later too!

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fic other than the OCs and plot.**

* * *

Ninten sighed as he leaned back. "I suppose we don't have a choice, do we?" he asked.

"We have to move fast, even if it means I'm not at one hundred percent," Paula declared.

"These times..." Ninten trailed off, reflecting on how unfair the situation seemed. "...I guess we don't have any choice but to play what we have been given, and for us three, that's not a lot."

"When we join up with the army, that'll give us more options," Paula said.

"In some ways," Ninten replied, reflecting on what state the army might be in by the time they reached it. Spending time in the Royal Guard, Ninten knew general army procedures, and he also knew how much more valuable trained and disciplined units were, and how few in number they were compared to the militiamen. He could understand Paula's faith in the army, given that she'd been around the best of them for years, but even then, the regular army wasn't free from corruption. But even then, it wasn't the regular army he was most concerned about.

It was the militiamen no doubt comprising of most of their forces. They were undisciplined, untrained, inexperienced, and would be far more likely to commit atrocities than regular soldiers...not that it didn't happen among the regulars, it was just less frequent. They had to be careful measuring up their strength with only numbers due to the varying quality among them.

Footsteps heading down the stairs snapped Ninten out of his brooding, with he and Paula turning their attention to the descending Lucas. "Morning Ninten, morning Paula," he greeted, rubbing his eyes.

"Morning Lucas," the best friends chimed in unison.

Ninten noticed how Lucas looked at Paula briefly. "You feeling better today?" the blonde boy asked.

Paula nodded. "Yeah," she answered. "Ninten's help has really helped with the virus, which was quite straining despite the fact that it was fading at that point. I'll be back to normal before long."

"For once, you actually aren't denying your suffering," Ninten remarked dryly. "I swear, you make such a big fuss (possibly to get under our skin) when you really don't have to."

"I just don't want to worry you," Paula murmured.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you're not a burden if you say you're hurt or ill or whatever?" Ninten questioned, exasperated. "I swear, you are _so_ gonna be the death of me someday."

"Anyway, what's the plan for today?" Lucas asked, changing the subject. "We all agree that we can't stay here long, but Paula's still not in-"

"I am quite fine with leaving today," Paula huffed. "In fact, Ninten agreed that today would be the best time."

"We need to reach additional support in Fiveopilis as soon as possible, especially since we can't wait forever," Ninten argued.

"Fair enough, but are you absolutely sure you are good enough to travel?" Lucas questioned to Paula.

"I am," Paula said, nodding resolutely. "Believe me, I'm a lot stronger than most would expect."

"I can testify," Ninten muttered under his breath.

...which his friend had evidently heard given the look she gave him. Ninten shrugged in reply.

 _"Anyway,_ yes, I'm strong enough to reach Fiveopilis and I should be good enough to go wherever we need to afterward," princess declared.

"What about food?" Lucas asked.

"If we need to, we can worry about that when we reach Fiveopilis," Ninten reassured. "We can scrape together enough money, so don't worry."

The blonde teen hesitated, but then nodded in reply. "So when are we leaving?" he asked.

"In a few hours, shortly after lunch," Paula answered.

"Thank you," Lucas said. "...So what now?"

"We kill time," Ninten suggested.

* * *

Ana walked quietly down the stairs, seeing Ninten on the sofa (where he spent the night) rummaging around in his bag.

"Hey Ninten," Ana greeted, walking up to the veteran.

Ninten's head lifted up from the backpack to meet Ana's. "Hi Ana, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm pretty good," Ana said as she took a closer look at the area around Ninten. There was a bulging sack that he was about to stuff into his backpack with some wrapped food that her mother had given them on the end table right next to the sofa. "You're leaving," she realized.

Ninten nodded. "Yeah," he answered, and was that a trace of remorse? Ana wasn't certain, so she decided not to act on it. Better not to make a fool of herself by false assumptions.

Nevertheless, she sighed. "I wish you and the others could stay longer," she told him.

Ninten nodded in reply. "I wish we could stay longer, but what's happening is too dire for us to wait. We can't stay here any longer or we might miss the army's reinforcements that are no doubt preparing a counterattack against the Pigmasks."

"Why does it have to be war?" Ana asked. "Why not peace?"

"I don't know," Ninten sighed. "But when one faction's trying to kill off the other, you don't tend to stop to think about peace until they tire of war or one side is virtually nonexistent."

"I guess I can understand that, but still..." Ana trailed off. "But, there is one thing I want to ask you."

"What is it?" Ninten questioned.

"Could you...um...er...I..." Ana looked away in embarrassment and shame from being unable to even summon up the courage to say what she needed to.

"What?"

"N-Never mind Ninten...it was nothing major," Ana said, pretending her request didn't matter.

Ninten's eyes narrowed, but thankfully for Ana, he dropped the subject. "I have one thing to ask myself," he admitted. "Take care of yourself. Even before the war, PSI users like us were disappearing from all over Eagleland, and I'm sure it won't stop. I...would hate to hear you were among them."

"Thank you Ninten," Ana nodded. "I promise I'll try not to be abducted." She sat down next to him. "By the way, is there anything I can do to help you pack?" she asked.

Ninten shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm good," he said. "But Lucas and Paula might need help; I'm not sure how they're doing."

"Okay, thank you." Ana got up, bowed slightly and quickly left the room. _'Why couldn't I do it?'_ she wondered to herself as she looked for the veteran's other companions.

* * *

"So it's time for you three to go now, huh?" Kristen said.

"Yeah," Paula sighed. "I wish I could stay here longer, but thank you for your hospitality and giving us the money we needed to get to Fiveopilis. I...really enjoyed getting to know you and Ana."

"Let's not dwell on that," Kristen told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It was an honor knowing you too, princess...not to mention the boys," she added. "But I wish I could've spared more for you, but that's as much as I can..." Kristen sighed.

"Goodbye Lucas and Ninten," Ana mumbled. "I...really enjoyed our time together, and I hope you two make it out safely."

"I enjoyed getting to know you too," Lucas said, Ninten nodding along with him.

"And like I said earlier, stay safe," Ninten instructed. "In these times, it might be impossible to always be safe...but please be careful."

Ana nodded as she mumbled one last, "goodbye," before heading over to Paula.

"Hey Ana," Paula said with a small smile. Ana could tell that her friend was trying hard to hide her sadness, but she could still sense it.

"Paula..." Ana trailed off. "I'll miss you," she mumbled.

"I'll miss you too," Paula said, "but I promise I'll come back to see you someday."

"You will?" Paula nodded and Ana felt her spirits lift slightly. "Oh, thank you!"

"It's no big deal," Paula replied.

"N-No, it really is," Ana retorted. "There aren't many people whom I can...connect with. You and your friends are among the few."

"Thanks," Paula said.

"Paula?" The princess turned her head towards Ninten and Lucas, finished with their conversation with Kristen. "It's time," he said.

Paula nodded. "Right," she said before facing the family one last time. "Thank you for everything, and take care! Goodbye!"

"Goodbye!" Kristen and Ana called, waving as the trio walked off. As soon as they were out of sight, they returned their hands to their side, both still looking in the same direction they left in.

"Hey Ana, let's head back in," Kristen told her daughter. "I'm sure they'll be fine, and they certainly don't want us getting sick."

Ana nodded. "One minute mom," she said. Kristen nodded and went back inside their home, her daughter staring down the pathway they walked on.

 _'I have to do this,'_ he told herself as she went inside, finally setting her mind firmly on what her decision was.

* * *

With the benefits of 4th-D Slip, Ninten was able to sneak his Giant Knife into the station without anyone knowing and hid it under the bench they were sitting at. Nobody batted an eye at three teens at one bench looking like they were all friends, especially since they were occupied in their efforts to do something to pass the time before the train arrived.

"...So what exactly is a train?" Lucas asked, therefore breaking the silence that had fallen in between them given the topic they were talking about had run its course.

"...You didn't ask earlier?" Ninten questioned, confused on why he didn't bring this up earlier.

"I couldn't help but be embarrassed by not knowing," Lucas admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"A train is a vehicle that runs on tracks, such as those," Ninten answered while pointing at the aforementioned tracks. "Trains are among the quickest and most efficient modes of transportation in this day. They were so valuable that a handful were maintained after the wars despite a severe shortage of the materials necessary for the maintenance. But none of the governments could maintain as many as they liked, with some of the chosen railroads falling apart over time."

"Why couldn't they?"

"Some of them underestimated how much the maintenance at this time would cost themselves, others overestimated the strength of their workforce, and relations between some city-states were tedious at best, with even a few instances of minor skirmishes."

"What?" Lucas gaped. "I thought the world was at peace?!"

"That's what a lot of records say...but what they mean was no overt war," Ninten corrected. "Yes, battles and riots took place, but no actual war like this up until now."

"That's the reason why my parents insisted that I never set foot outside the castle grounds without heavy guard, especially since the monarchy doesn't have to go around and manage the country due to their lack of power," Paula mentioned. "I never actually did ride a train before, even though when I was younger I really wanted to."

"Your parents were that paranoid over you?" Lucas questioned.

Paula nodded, frowning slightly. "Yeah, my parents are a bit...overprotective of me," she stated.

"They'd probably kick me halfway across Eagleland if they knew I was letting you fight in the war," Ninten muttered in agreement.

" _That's_ a _bit?_ That sounds _way_ to overbearing to me," Lucas shook his head.

"You have to remember the reason why the Royal Family was instituted only a decade ago," Ninten pointed out. "They are a symbol of unity throughout the Confederation, hope that one day we will rise to what humanity used to be. However, being a symbol like that is risky; very high profile...even though only valuable leaders, such as Fiveopilis's mayor, know what she even looks like."

"One thing I don't understand is why hereditary monarchy is so appealing," Lucas said. "Nobody chooses where they're born, or when they're born. In fact, you could very well be related to a brilliant leader and still be the worst person for the job. How come it's so unfair like that?"

Ninten shrugged. "People are naturally...'attracted' by familiar names. Even if that person isn't qualified to be a good leader, they would still have strong support because of their ancestry, and that children tend to share beliefs with their parents."

"Basically, it's like 'the apple doesn't tend to fall far from the tree'," Paula summarized.

Ninten rolled his eyes. "Oh gee, _thanks_ for summarizing everything I just said into a mere saying," Ninten remarked, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"For such a luxurious lifestyle, being a royal is far more constricting than it appears, isn't it?" Lucas asked.

"Compared to most of Castle Town, we aren't far above average on most counts," Paula said.

"Really? I've always read in books on how rich kings and queens were and that they spoil their kids with," Lucas blurted out.

"Well, the central government can't set any taxes, only _request_ them," Paula explained. "But city-states are reluctant to give any beyond the minimum requirements for our living, servants, guards, and maintenance, despite the paintings and lavish decorations of the throne room. But other than that, there isn't really a whole lot that we got over the decade in which my parents reigned."

"Those stories you're thinking of probably use the monarchs from before the wars," Ninten told his blonde friend.

"Things were a lot different back then, weren't they?" Lucas mused.

Ninten sighed. "More than any of us can imagine," he said.

 **"Attention. The train heading to Fiveopilis will be arriving in a few minutes,"** the intercom announced.

"Well, it looks like we won't have to wait for much longer," Ninten observed, eager to get moving again.

"Looks like I'll finally get my childhood wish," Paula said with a smile. "I wonder what seeing a train is like in person?"

"Hey, um...excuse me?"

All of their heads turned toward the voice who spoke, the person in question immediately shrinking back slightly under their gazes. "Ana? What are you doing here?" Paula asked.

"I wanted to ask you something...before you left," Ana replied.

"Couldn't you have asked us over telepathy if you really wanted to ask and save the money needed to get in here?" Ninten pointed out, wondering what had gotten into her.

"This, um...This is something I _need_ to ask you in person," Ana said.

"What is it?"

"Can...Can I come with you three?"

Ninten's eyes widened in shock, being caught completely flat-footed by Ana's question. He looked at Lucas and Paula to gauge their reactions, and they wore similar expressions to his own. Given from what little he knew of Ana, he had some doubts about her ability to handle war, especially with her aversion to violence. If people would not fight on the battlefield, they were as good as dead.

The veteran turned his gaze back on Ana, looking at her sternly. "Ana, this is war we're talking about," Ninten stated, loud enough for Ana to hear, but not loud enough for anyone not deliberately eavesdropping could. "There is going to be violence and chaos, people are gonna die, and...you must realize everything will change after seeing that." To Ninten's amazement (which he tried to hide), Ana didn't seem to back down; in fact, her resolve seemed to harden.

"I know," she replied, so much unlike the kind and shy girl that they had first met.

Ninten mused in silence for a moment, thinking about this new side of her. He had to admit, he may have underestimated her strength, but he still wasn't entire comfortable with the idea of her tagging along... _'What exactly triggered this change in her?'_ he wondered.

"You really want to come, don't you," Ninten spoke after a long silence. "Nothing's gonna stop you, even if we tried. You remind me of how Lucas convinced me to bring him along as well."

Ana maintained her silence, yet her gaze did not wave in the least. "...So why do you want to come?" Ninten asked, curious.

"It had to do with what you said," Ana replied. "You said PSI users were being hunted down by the Pigmasks, so I'm not safe staying here. I don't want to drag my family into this if I can help it. If I'm hunted down, they'll be forced into this one way or another. Besides, PSI users aren't much different than ordinary people; they don't deserve to be taken away like they are now. I-I want to help, and if it means I have to fight...then so be it."

There were a few things that Ninten valued in people, like integrity, work ethic, and determination. And this shy girl's determination...He only knew of a handful of people with as much as she just demonstrated, albeit idealistic and innocent. _'If only she knew...'_ he trailed off, thinking of how Eagleland had treated their own PSI users, but not as ruthlessly as the Pigmasks did. And she also had logic behind her as well, with her family in very real danger if the Pigmasks found out she was one of the people they were looking for, and their group would have an additional PSI user.

Though, the repercussions of war...he wasn't sure how well she'd handle this. Lucas's past had convinced him that he can at least stand strong in violent scenarios, and the performance in the battle (that they were forced into) proved he could hold his own against a swarm of enemies. Ana had yet to be tested in such fields.

He supposed he needed to consult the others.

"What do you two think?" Ninten asked, turning to his other two companions.

"I have to admit, her determination is admirable," Paula observed as she tilted her head in thought. "She would get out there one way or another now that she knows the truth. Mind as well let her...safety in numbers, right?"

"Considering the battle in Tazmily, her concern for her family makes a lot of sense," Lucas contributed, gazing up at the ceiling. "Still, like you said Ninten, this war will demand a lot from every one of us, and not only is there no guarantee we will return, there _is_ a guarantee that if we do, we won't return the same."

Ninten nodded, thankful for their two cents in the matter. He turned back to Ana, mind set. "Well then, if you think you can withstand war, then you're on the team," he announced.

"Thank you. I promise I won't let any of you down," Ana declared, bowing slightly.

"But I want to teach you how to control your PSI better," Ninten said. "But you've had your PSI for years, so we won't need as much time as I did with Lucas...I think I can fit most of the lessons in on the train ride to Fiveopilis."

A whistle echoed through the station, grabbing the attentions of everyone in the group. All heads turned toward the tracks where they saw the train pull in.

"Speak of the devil," Ninten muttered as he watched the train slow to a stop.

 **"Attention, the train heading to Fiveopilis has arrived,"** the intercom blared as the doors to the passenger cars opened.

They watched as people disembarked from the train, but only a handful. "Let's go," Ninten said as he stood up, ready to sneak his Giant Knife into the train.

* * *

Ninten sat himself down next to the window of their room, Ana right beside him with Lucas and Paula taking the other side as well.

"Odd," Lucas muttered.

"What is it, Lucas?" Paula asked.

"Wouldn't you be more inclined to sit with Ninten since you are his best friend?" Lucas pointed out.

"That's the way it worked out," Ninten shrugged. "And I don't mind, unless you want to trade seats."

"I'm okay."

A silence fell between the group, having expended all of their words for the time being. But a commotion from outside quickly grabbed their attention, Ana snapping her head away from the window at the sound of yelling.

"I'll go look," Ninten volunteered as he poked his head out of the room.

"What's happening?" Ana asked curiously.

"...Two guys are arguing over who sits in one particular room," Ninten stated, disdain evident in his tone. "Oh, and now fists are flying," he shook his head.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Lucas cried as he flew to his feet. "We gotta stop them!"

"No need," Ninten told him. "The attendants are splitting them up. We don't want to attract any unnecessary attention now." He closed the door and sat back down with a sigh, muttering something under his breath, which sounded a lot like 'typical' to Ana, but she made no comment due to not being sure if she heard correctly.

"Why were they fighting when they could've made a deal that resolved it?" Ana wondered aloud.

"People are assholes sometimes," Ninten answered bluntly. "You see that kind of behavior a lot, trust me."

Silence followed Ninten's statement, no one knowing how to respond to Ninten's last comment. Ana preoccupied herself with listening to the footsteps outside their room as people boarded and searched for their seat, trying to block out the disturbing thoughts circulating through her mind. But the noise only lasted another minute due to only a handful of people boarding. It wasn't long after silence had fallen when the train whistle blared out, nearly causing her to jump. Frankly, it was rather loud and obnoxious to her ears, and given Lucas and Paula's reactions, they agreed.

The train jerked underneath them, nearly causing Ana to jump out of her skin again.

"W-What was that?" Paula asked, apparently just as prepared as Ana was for that.

"It's what happens when the train starts to move," Ninten told her, the only one that was visibly calm. "But trust me; I handled my first train ride quite pathetically."

"And how old were you then? I would've _loved_ to see you scream like a little girl."

Ninten shook his head. "I was ten at the time," he replied.

"Oh."

Ninten glanced out the window as he commented, "by the way, if you want a last glimpse of Snowman, now's the time."

"...Can I switch spots to sit by the window please?" Ana requested.

"Sure. Go ahead," Ninten accepted, standing up.

Ana hastily thanked him as she moved into his original seat, the veteran taking hers. She directed her gaze to see that the station had already left her view, and many of the houses that she recognized were only there for a few seconds before disappearing from view. She couldn't help a pang of sadness, knowing her mother was alone, and she already missed her.

"Missing your home already?" Lucas asked, but not unkindly. Ana nodded, still watching as her hometown disappeared. "...It was similar to when I left Tazmily," the blonde boy admitted. Ana turned to him in surprise, curious to hear more. "It's incredible how just stepping outside where you lived the majority of your life will change your views on the world," he mused. "It hasn't even been a week since I left, and it feels that so much has already changed...It's scary, and I also stole a final glance at Tazmily the last chance I got. It...was quite a sight, and I don't think I'll ever forget it. I've seen the view many times before, but knowing I wouldn't see it for a long time again really...made it a lot different. I felt a tug at that point, like I should stay home instead of going on this crazy adventure, but I didn't listen." Lucas smiled kindly at Ana. "Trust me; you aren't the only one feeling like this."

"Thank you for understanding," Ana said. "It's...It's really the first time I've ever left my hometown like this, and I've never been to a city before...I'm quite nervous on how that's gonna go."

"I first went to a city when I was about seven, accompanying my parents for reasons I no longer recall," Paula contributed. "But I remember my first reactions...It was quite overwhelming at first."

"So...what's it like?" Lucas inquired.

"A city is populated by more people than you two can imagine," Paula began. "It would seem like the streets would be flooding with them on any given time during the day, and the buildings come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, all unique in their own way."

"Whoa..." Ana gaped in disbelief.

"That certainly sounds overwhelming when you put it that way," Lucas whistled.

"But it would be best if you two saw it yourself," Paula said. "And my descriptions were only the best...the worst is, it isn't exactly the most sanitary and you'll probably find a number of beggars as well."

Ana glanced at Lucas uncertainly, his expression mirroring hers. Now, she wasn't as excited as she was before about seeing a city.

* * *

At this point, all conversation had passed, the group either sitting in silence or in dreamland. Paula and Lucas were in the latter category, having fallen asleep a few hours ago. Ana was still awake, due to being drilled in energy manipulation. Ninten had ended the session about half an hour ago, telling her to get some rest. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not drift off into dreamland. Her 'rest' consisted of tossing and turning for the most part.

With a sigh, she finally gave up, opening her eyes. Ninten was leaning against the wall with his eyes shut, their other companions in similar positions. She sighed again, looking out the window. It seemed as though time passed really slowly when you really don't want it to.

"Can't sleep?" Ana nearly jumped out of her skin, whipping around while barely managing to cover her mouth to stop her scream. She still squeaked a little, but that was better than waking up everyone within a fifty foot radius.

"O-Oh, Ninten," she said, calming down now that she knew who spoke.

"I startled you, didn't I?" he stated. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I wasn't expecting you to be up, that's all," Ana reassured.

"I was just making sure that nothing happened, that's all. No need to worry," the veteran said.

Ana frowned, concerned about his well being. "You know, you could always ask us to help if you need rest," she offered.

"Don't worry; I'm used to long and boring watches like this," Ninten said. "One of the first things they drilled us on in the Royal Guard."

"That sounds...boring."

"It was, but I'm glad I stuck through it," he commented. "Believe me, I would've been far worse off if I didn't."

"But what about your family?" Ana questioned. "Don't they miss you?"

 **"Attention all passengers,"** the intercom blared. **"We will be arriving at Fiveopilis's station momentarily."**

"Why does it seem like something always seems to happen after someone finishes what they're saying?" Ninten wondered as Lucas and Paula stirred from their sleep.

"Ugh...so sleepy," Lucas groaned through half-open eyes. To her credit, Paula was making an effort, though she didn't seem to be much better off.

"Well, wake yourselves up fast you two. We've got a busy afternoon ahead of us, lazy bones," Ninten chuckled, obviously amused, Ana also giving a smile.

* * *

Ninten glanced around the street as they exited the station, taking in the sights. Crowds of people walked up and down the street, making their way to wherever they needed to go. He recalled when he first saw a city, how enormous it seemed compared to Podunk...

In more ways than sheer population too. The buildings varied in all sizes, some being similar to regular housing, and others apartment buildings. Up ahead, Ninten saw quite the odd-looking building with a dome on the top, and beyond that...a skyscraper. He didn't know why Fiveopilis insisted upon that; a waste of materials in his opinion. Still, the veteran had to admit it didn't look half bad.

He looked at his companions, particularly Ana and Lucas's reactions. The black-haired teen couldn't help a small smirk on his face at the awestruck looks on their faces. "Told you the best would blow you away," he commented.

"This...This is..." Lucas couldn't form coherent words, and Ana just didn't try.

"Still, we don't want to stick around to see the worst," Paula pointed out. "Let's go ask around for directions."

"Easier said than done," Ninten said, glancing around.

"Hey, excuse me?" Ninten snapped his head back to Paula, who was now talking to a couple sitting on a bench. "Do you know where the Town Hall is?"

"Over there young lady," the man replied, pointing directly at the building with the dome on the top.

"Okay, thank you," she said before joining back up with the group. "That was easier than you thought," she commented.

"Let's not make this any longer than it has to be," Ninten mumbled as he began to walk up the stairs leading to the building. "I don't fancy having my back stabbed or trying to be bribed," he added, hearing the footsteps of his companions right behind him.

Entering through the wooden doors, the group was immediately greeted by a red carpet, similar to those that important people walk down that led up to the reception desk. Ninten spotted a very expensive-looking chandelier hanging above them and glanced around to see pictures covering nearly every inch of the walls.

 _'I think it would be easier to measure what_ isn't _covered,'_ Ninten deadpanned. _'Seriously, if I didn't know any better, I'd say this would be the throne room for the Royal Family,'_ he thought with contempt. Seriously, why did they have to bother putting all of this decoration in a room that wasn't important? The warrior understood the purpose of glorifying the leader, but this was just showing off, using material that could be better used elsewhere.

"We want to see the mayor," Paula's voice snapped Ninten out of his thoughts, realizing the others were in front of the receptionist.

"I'm sorry, but the mayor is very busy," she replied, though Ninten could detect a faint trace of impatience in her voice. "I'm afraid he can't see you kids right now."

"But it's important!" Lucas protested.

"And the mayor's duties aren't?" the receptionist glared coldly at the one who dared to speak up. "The entire city is filled with over a million people, not to mention having to go through piles of bills every day. You three are simply narcissistic teenagers who think you're on top of the world. If you want to bug someone, do it to your own parents instead of an important person."

Ninten sighed, having expected this. And it was in this moment that he was never more thankful for one of the requirements of the Royal Guard before now.

He unslung the sheath of his Giant Knife, now holding it in his hands. He proceeded to walk around to behind the receptionist who was saying something else that just breathed 'prejudice against teenagers', and dropped it on the counter with a massive 'whump'!

Instantly, the argument fell silent, all of them staring at the new object in play.

"You should be able to tell me what that symbol on the sheath is, correct?" Ninten asked.

The receptionist whirled around, bringing her glare upon him. "You shouldn't even be behind me!" she contested. "And didn't I already tell your friends to go and bother someone else? Why-"

"Answer the question before you find out how 'real' that weapon is," Ninten growled.

The receptionist gulped and turned back, examining the sheath. "I don't know who would be crazy enough to let you kids run around with a weapon like this, but-" Her voice stopped cold, and Ninten knew she had realized what it was.

"Well?"

"It's...It's the emblem of the Royal Guard," she muttered in awe.

"Yes, so don't you think that one of the Guard is enough to at least have an audience with the mayor?"

"Y-Yes," she stuttered. "H-He's down that hall," she gestured to the passageway in question.

"Thank you," Ninten said, retrieving his Giant Knife and began heading towards the mayor's office, his stunned friends following.

 _'Honestly, that went better than I expected,'_ he commented to himself.

* * *

 **Next chapter is back to some action, but it'll probably take me two weeks to come out with it. Anyway, hope you liked this, and have a great day!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _Transportation System: During the course of the PSI Wars, most 20th and 21st century methods of transportation were destroyed or rendered impractical due to the sheer loss of resources. However, some relics from the 19th century could be preserved and therefore were put to use once more, though in very small numbers. Transportation from before the Industrial Revolution is far more commonplace._

 _Meeting Officials: Political officials, despite how corrupt they are, are very important people in the system, and therefore a system was put into place regarding requests to meet these people. First off, you have to be over eighteen to see them, and you have to come in after their hours are finished. However, anyone who has connections to the Royal Family (the Royal Guard is one such example) and other city-state officials tend to be exempt most of the time._


	9. Arc 1: Swamp Wars

**I don't know, but it seems that it gets harder and harder to produce the chapters. I'm not sure why, but I haven't been as motivated to work lately than I was just starting out. Yes, I still enjoy it, but it just seems my chapters are...more forced outside a few scenes that I enjoyed writing. Not sure if this is noticeable or not, just giving you all a heads up. But there are parts that I'm very excited to write (albeit, in the third arc in particular), so I'll try to finish this. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

All reviews were answered over PM because of the delay of another week before this chapter was released.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Earthbound or anything in this fic except the plot and OCs.**

* * *

 _Knock, knock._

"Who's there?" the voice of the mayor called. "I'm in the middle of dealing with this war. _And_ the city's matters, so you better have a good reason for coming here!"

Ninten sighed. Paula normally would've given him a look for that, but she couldn't blame his exasperation this time. She was also exasperated with the treatment they were receiving here. Granted, they didn't recognize the Princess of Eagleland, but Paula would've taken listening to the over-glorified arena known as the Congress of Eagleland over this any day.

"I'm one of the Royal Guard," Ninten called. "I'm here to speak with you over the precise matters you are complaining about."

Paula heard incoherent grumbling from the mayor's office, followed by the shuffling of feet. No doubt the mayor was coming to greet them personally now that he knew a representative of the Royal Family was here.

No sooner had she determined that than the door opened, and the face of the stout and somewhat pudgy man appeared, scowling at them.

"A Royal Guardsman? Here?" he questioned incredulously as his first impression. "What is this, some kind of a joke?" he scoffed as he sized Lucas and Ana up. But then his eyes landed on Ninten, or more particularly, his weapon. "Well I'll be damned…" he muttered, eyes widening in shock and awe. "They let someone as young as _you_ join the Guard?" the mayor asked.

"I can use PSI," Ninten replied evenly, but Paula could tell he was barely suppressing a scowl.

"Oh, well it should be a privilege to serve the Polestars so honorably at such an age," the mayor nodded in approval. Paula took that moment to reflect upon how unfair the entire system regarding PSI users was.

She did not brood long upon this topic though, as the mayor took one glance at Paula and his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets as his jaw hit the floor (figuratively; probably would not be healthy if it was literal).

"P-Princess Paula?" he sputtered.

The princess in question simply nodded in confirmation. "Well, this certainly turned out to be quite an interesting day indeed," the mayor mused, his shock not fading. "They told us you were being held captive with the rest of your family."

"That is false, for you see me before your eyes," Paula said.

"So you know about your family?" the mayor questioned.

"A few weeks ago, my friend overheard that from a Pigmask group around the proximity of Tazmily village," Paula replied.

"That explains it." The mayor nodded as he went back to his desk. "Well come on! Don't we have matters to discuss about the war?"

The group nodded simultaneously as they huddled around the map the mayor was laying out on the desk.

"I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself earlier," the mayor apologized. "I am Andrew Felix, mayor of Fiveopilis, at your service."

"Thank you," Paula said. "But first, we need an overview of the situation. The latest news we had was a few weeks old, and I'm sure a lot has changed."

The mayor sighed. "Well, the top military leaders aren't giving me a whole lot of stuff that doesn't concern me, but they gave me the general situation in Central Eagleland." The mayor took a deep breath as he gestured to the part around the eastern border.

"Right after the coup, the Pigmasks went on an all-out offensive originating from the eastern part of the country. They took over at least four or five city-states within days and two more fell within the week. But their offensive has sputtered out, with them struggling to hold three of the city-states. They still have one under siege, Ellay, which is apparently their main effort. I'm not entirely sure why, but that was their plan. The General in charge of Central Eagleland, General Alexander Xavier has dispatched reinforcements to break through and establish a link to the city so that we can hold it. In fact, they were rallying here."

"Where are they now?" Ninten asked.

"They just left the city a few hours ago," Mayor Felix replied.

"What?" Ninten yelled.

"I-I'm being honest; the force had left hours before you four showed up."

"What is making them up?"

"Mainly militia, but there are a good number of regular soldiers in addition to a handful of Special Forces troops," Mayor Felix explained.

"And they're headed for Ellay?"

"I said that," the politician grumbled. "Try to pay attention in the future."

Paula was about to open her mouth to put him in his place, but a simple shake of the head from her best friend stopped her.

"What are the directions for their route? We have to catch up to them."

"Normally I would rebuke you for your lack of respect despite the fact that you're a Royal Guard…" Paula scowled at that. "…But I can tell that the princess herself would be valuable moral support for the soldiers, so…we're here," he said, pointing towards the center of Fiveopilis. "To get out, you should go left out of the Town Hall building and continue straight south. The Colonel will lead the reinforcements through the plains and into the swamp here…" His finger traced all the day down to the swampy area in question. "Pigmask defenses are weakest at that point. They'll cut through it to squeeze behind enemy lines and open up a larger hole to break the siege."

"Thank you," Paula said. "Well, let's go!" she stated as she glanced back at her friends.

"Wait!" the mayor called. "Take these badges; it'll let you be identified as 'friendly' to the army," he explained as he gave each PSI user a badge labeled 'Eagleland Army'.

"Thank you," Ninten said. "Now, let's play some catch-up with the army."

* * *

Eagleland's Special Forces were the elite of the elite in the army. They were the best trained, best equipped, and the most disciplined out of everybody. Their officers were likewise among the top graduates of military academies, and they (along with rank-and-file soldiers) were trained from the use of firearms to operating behind enemy lines. Unfortunately for one Special Forces Captain, patience with the undisciplined militiamen she was assigned to command was not one of them.

"Why are we even going this way, Captain?" one of them grumbled, only exacerbating her already bad mood.

"This is the best way in to be able to break the siege," the captain replied. "It would be much easier to not go through the swamp, yes…if you don't mind being slaughtered and the failure of our mission."

"But Maggie, we're exhausted and some are dead before they even saw battle!" the militiaman protested.

"Soldier, you do not address your commander by their first name!" the captain rebuked, glaring at him. "And if you really want to, you can find your _own_ way through enemy lines _without_ following us through. _Clear?"_

"Y-Yes Captain Holland."

Captain Holland sighed in relief as the soldier backed down, though she knew that there would be more idiotic questions that she didn't have to deal with in Special Forces.

It was beyond her why she was assigned to these rag-tag grunts; she could deal with the reservists since they at least had basic training, and she thought of them as pretty poor compared to Special Forces who would instantly follow orders without question (to an extent of course). These militiamen were far more unruly than the soldiers she was used to, and it didn't help she wasn't the most tolerant ever since she was younger. She hoped that they'll act better in battle than on the field with all the grumbling they were doing. If they constantly questioned her, that could lead to more people dying at best, the battalion's complete destruction at worst.

The captain's mind drifted back through their march through the swamp. Several soldiers had reported catching glimpses of Pigmask soldiers, and a few archers had picked off at least three or four, yet the commander did nothing. Holland's instincts were screaming that something was wrong. The Pigmasks should know they're coming, so why haven't they met them on the battlefield yet?

Not that she was complaining because the complex formation they were having difficulty maintaining in the swamp would only hinder them further in the initial stages of the battle, and whoever has the initiative in a battle has the advantage. But she had to accept there was nothing she could do. She couldn't leave her unit to ask the commander personally and she didn't trust any of the militiamen to actually convey her message the way she wanted it to. For now, she had to live with the situation and make the best of it.

Fortunately, it seemed as though they would be in better shape if a battle came because they were now on solid ground. _'Finally; a break from slogging through that filth,'_ Holland sighed in relief. It wasn't that she minded being dirty; ever since she was little, she could care less about appearances, but it also would make the march a lot more bearable than before.

But she would've taken the muck over what happened seconds after she set foot on the ground any day.

Due to her alerted state, she was able to register the pink horde that had suddenly popped into existence almost immediately, diving for the ground. The cries of several soldiers informed her that not all of them were so quick to react. But glancing around, the captain was pleased to see that a number of militiamen and soldiers had followed her lead. _'It_ _ **was**_ _a trap after all,'_ she concluded as she raised her shield to try to protect her face from the laser blasts whizzing above her. They must've waited in the undergrowth to catch their forces by surprise.

As she took a quick glance above her, Holland's eyes spotted a brief ripple above her before it faded, like when someone threw a stone into water. She could tell the signs of a psychic shield being deployed. It was a good thing they had the two PSI users accompanying them or else they wouldn't stand much of a chance.

She was one of the first to get off the ground and charge, bashing a Pigmask with her shield. She took another on with her broadsword, the duel ending swiftly with the point of her sword through her foe's neck. She saw other soldiers and militiamen battling Pigmasks in similar duels, though it wasn't always her side that won them.

She tripped a particularly careless Pigmask who was hell-bent on tackling her. She thanked him for his intentions by stabbing him in the back. But a terrible roar nearly caused her to freeze up, but she managed a glance to her right to witness the gruesome sight of a soldier being torn apart by some kind of a mechanical lion. _'What?'_ she nearly gasped, but managed to hold it back. She was about to take action against the new threat when a barrage of arrows honed in on it, piercing through multiple locations of its body. A daring soldier charged up to it while it tried to shake the arrows off, plunging his pike through the neck, causing it to go limp.

She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the...creature wouldn't harm any more soldiers, but it couldn't have been the only one, could it?

Sure enough, to her right there was some sort of a cow with a snake's neck and tail overwhelming a soldier. It had disarmed him, and was about to trample him when Holland stabbed it. The cow-thing fell onto the ground where another stab was sufficient to end its life.

 _'What the hell are these things? And how are the Pigmasks using them?'_ she wondered as she helped the soldier on the ground up. "You all right?" she asked as she yanked her sword out of the cow-thing's body.

"Yes ma'am, I'm fine," the soldier replied. "But I've never seen anything like that...what was it?" he wondered.

"We can worry about that after we get out of here alive!" Holland barked, taking a battle stance against another cow-thing, the soldier retrieving the pike he had lost and extended it towards their common enemy.

* * *

They had been in the swamp for hours, barely stopping at all. Paula was rapidly approaching exhaustion, and she could tell that none of her friends were faring much better.

"Ugh," Ana groaned. "How much longer until we're out of here?" she asked. To her credit, this was the first time she complained since they had started through the swamp, despite voicing her misgivings about this path earlier.

"About another hour," Ninten replied.

"Couldn't come soon enough," Lucas muttered, staggering briefly.

"Look, if we find someplace to rest, then we can take a break," Ninten said. "But I'm not sure where in this godforsaken swamp would be a good place around here…"

"Is that a dry area over there?" the princess asked, pointing in the direction she saw it.

"...Looks like we found our resting place," Ninten confirmed, the group letting out a collective sigh of relief.

"Finally, some rest," Lucas sighed as he trudged toward the 'rest area'.

As they clambered onto dry land, Paula sat down on the ground as she examined her condition. Her clothes were all caked in grime and even her hair and face showed signs of dirtying. Not to mention the exhaustion that plagued her body. Despite all the training Ninten gave her, he hadn't exactly prepared her for long distance travel in tough terrain such as swamps. But that was justified since he really only taught her how to fight and survival skills.

None of the other three looked much better, but it was Ana who fared the worst. She had practically collapsed on the ground, not used to the rigor of daily life on the move. Paula had to admit that the world the books portrayed failed to capture the hardships of life away from civilization adequately. Not that nature didn't have it's beauty, but things like swamps are not exactly sightseeing destinations.

Lucas at least was able to sit up like the princess, though he still appeared quite exhausted. Paula couldn't help but be a bit envious on how his signature cowlick managed to stay the way it was when they first met. She berated herself for being petty, but that didn't change her feelings.

Ninten to his credit was trying to get Ana into a more comfortable position, leaning her against the tree, but his composure showed many signs of weariness, and it didn't help that his Giant Knife dragged him down during their march. But given his hard breathing, it was a wonder his asthma didn't take ahold of him. Either way, all four of them had spots of grime from head to toe.

"I…didn't realize how tired I was," Lucas muttered, his tone betraying his complete exhaustion.

Paula took this opportunity of rest for some reflection. Just three days ago they had left Fiveopilis to catch up to the army, the first two going relatively smoothly across the flat plains and a forest, but they weren't too bad. However, the third day saw them reach the swamp within the first hour of their march. The mucky terrain significantly slowed their progress and made them so miserable to the point that they occasionally forgot why they were going this way.

But they had to catch up. They had to join the army or else they might not make it through the war.

"Let's rest for a while," Ninten said. "No way we'll actually move in our condition." Paula nodded in agreement.

* * *

Captain Holland bellowed as she thrust her sword forward through the belly of a mechanical and twisted. The lion jerked and fell limp in less than a second. Holland didn't get a moment's rest, being forced to raise her shield to block a rifle, but she saw the Pigmask fall out of the corner of her eye. She nodded to her partner, silently thanking him for the assist before looking around and spotting another group of targets.

"Hey! That's the commander over there!" her partner cried. Holland turned her head 180 degrees to see her partner's hand pointing towards a group of soldiers not too far away from their position.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked. "Let's go!"

Holland led the charge, bashing a Pigmask with her shield and stabbing through the organic skin of a cyborg mole, but her partner's sudden gasp attracted her attention, and she followed his gaze up.

The sight made her stomach turn to ice.

Hovering right above the battlefield was a single boy with bat-like wings, dressed in black. "Who is that? And what kind of rank is that supposed to signify?" her partner asked.

"Either someone high on the chain of command or a PSI user...possibly both corporal," Holland replied.

"But why would they put a kid on the top?" the corporal asked.

"Let's not worry about that now and instead worry about what he's about to do!" the captain snapped as she saw several arrows hone in on the mystery boy; all of them either missing or bouncing off of a shield harmlessly. Even one of the PSI users firing off a PK Thunder didn't even seem to slow him down. On the contrary, the electricity was all diverted to his yellow sword, which seemed to glow brighter because of the attack. Captain Holland noticed that the Pigmasks in front of her had stopped fighting, and were kneeling before the masked figure in awe.

Holland would've taken advantage of the opportunity to bring as many of those pig-snouted bastards down as she could, but the mystery boy pointed the bladed weapon right at the Commander's small force, the soldiers doing everything they could to either kill as many Pigmasks and creatures as they could or try to kill the mysterious boy hovering right above them. He raised it, the sword sparkling with pure electrical energy.

"Hit the ground!" someone called. Having a gut feeling what was about to happen, Captain Holland dragged her partner down onto the ground, putting her shield over both of their heads.

That's when a brilliant flash of light accompanied by a massive explosion nearly blinded and deafened them.

* * *

Now somewhat rested, the group of four was back under way, slogging mile after mile through the miserable terrain. But despite that, Lucas's mind couldn't help but wander uneasily the further in they went. He knew he felt something…But he didn't know exactly what. It felt…familiar though. _'What is this?'_ he wondered to himself.

"Hey Lucas, you okay?" Paula asked from behind him.

' _Evidently, I must not have concealed this as well as I thought,'_ Lucas mentally sighed, being more careful to hide his emotions. "I'm fine," the blonde replied. "I was just dwelling on a thought I had, that's all."

"About what?"

Lucas's eyes couldn't help but narrow in slight irritation, just wanting to be left alone right now. "It was nothing." Lucas knew that Paula doubted his response given the gaze she was analyzing him with. He felt a bead of sweat travel down his neck, nervous that she might press.

Thankfully Paula didn't, opting to fall silent instead. For the next several minutes, the slog continued in silence. Thankfully, due to their rest it didn't seem as bad as before they stopped, but getting this dirty was uncomfortable to Lucas. Granted, practically running the family farm for the past three years gave him quite a bit of taste to dirt and grime, but the swamp was not like that. Thankfully, the grime in this area was not particularly deep, so overall they did not get much dirtier than they already were.

Lucas was so wrapped up in his thoughts that his brain didn't immediately register that his foot caught on something in the water. He heard a cry and realized it was his as he landed face-first in the muck. His reaction to that was far quicker however as he jerked his head above within a second, breathing heavily from the shock.

"Are you alright Lucas?" Paula asked. Lucas glanced at Ninten and Ana who were in front of him, their expressions essentially asking the same question.

"I'm fine...I just tripped," Lucas mumbled.

"On what?" Ninten asked. Paula frowned as she knelt down around the spot Lucas tripped, hands moving around in the water. Evidently, she had found something given that both her hands converged on a single spot, followed by a quick tug. It was enough to dislodge the object from where it lay; some sort of a sword with a very thin blade. Paula swung it around a few times (far enough away from anybody).

"A rapier? What's something like that doing all the way out here?" the veteran wondered.

Paula shrugged as she held the blade by her side. "It looks quite new too...It's odd that something like this wound up in this forsaken spot."

"Maybe one of the soldiers dropped it?" Ana suggested.

"Unlikely," Ninten retorted. "They normally would carry weapons like these in sheaths. If it was dropped, wouldn't we have found it in the sheath?"

"What if they took it out to practice?" Lucas questioned.

"Training in the swamp? During a war?" Ninten replied. "I don't have the foggiest idea on what could've happened...the only reasons weapons are taken out of their sheaths are to train, to examine the weapon, or to-" He froze, eyes widening at whatever he had just realized.

"Or to fight..." Paula finished.

"But if they died, wouldn't we have found any...corpses nearby?" Lucas asked, shaking his head to repel the mental image that had popped into his mind.

"They could've dropped it during a retreat," Ninten said. "I've seen it happen when soldiers are panicked and need to get away from their enemy."

"Are you saying we're walking into a trap?" Paula asked.

Ninten gravely nodded. "We shouldn't go any further. Right now we need to track down what is left of the reinforcements and join up with them."

Lucas was about to agree when he saw a horde of pink emerge from the bushes right in front of him. "Behind you!" Lucas cried as he charged up a PK Love Beta. Ninten twisted his way out of the firing line while at the same time facing their enemy. Before the Pigmasks realized they had been spotted, they were slammed by the PK Love, sending them flying through the air, most likely dead. But there were more behind them and closing fast.

"Don't retreat! We have to fight until we get an opening!" Ninten growled as he cut down several more Pigmasks with his blade.

Lucas slammed a foolish Pigmask who tried to grab him with his bat, then kicked another on the knee and bashed him on the head. He was about to defend from another when a bolt of lightning slammed into him, the Pigmask now lying on the ground with the occasional twitch.

"Don't think you have to fight alone," Paula said, cutting down a few more Pigmasks with 'her' rapier.

"Looks like Ninten and Ana are holding their own," Lucas observed, glancing over as Pigmasks fell from Ana's PSI barrage, and those that didn't were taken out by Ninten's blade.

"Let's try to split their forces!" Paula called. Lucas nodded, blasting several more Pigmasks away with his Love Alpha.

It seemed as though the attack fizzled out, the survivors sent squealing back into the undergrowth. "Don't follow them," Ninten ordered. "We won't be able to catch up the way we are now."

"Is everyone okay?" Paula asked.

"I am."

"That was easier than I thought."

"Ana?" Paula looked at her pale face.

Ana gagged as she doubled over as Paula quickly rushed to her side. Ana gagged again, and then she threw up, bile spilling on the ground.

As Paula comforted her, Lucas knew he couldn't blame her for her reaction. He remembered his mother's death, how her screams pierced the air and the Mecha-Drago looking at them as they drifted down the river staring back. Lucas wished he hadn't seen the fangs glistening with blood, because that sight caused him to throw up right then and there, and he still got the shivers just thinking about it. For someone who hadn't been exposed to such bloodshed...no doubt would be very tough adjusting.

He glanced over at Ninten, also standing on the side. "She'll be okay," he said. "At least, I hope she will. I've seen veterans of bloody battles, whether they're shell-shocked or okay. How war affects people is...unpredictable, and that's an understatement."

"Shell shocked?"

"It's a term we use for those who seem to be in a 'trance' after a battle," Ninten explained. "It's horrible."

Lucas nodded, looking away from the duo on the ground, wanting to give them some privacy. Ana just needed time to sort things out, and in the meantime, they needed to be able to make sure nobody attacked them.

"Something doesn't seem right though..." Ninten muttered. "I thought they'd attack us with more, yet we were able to beat them off easily..." Lucas nodded in agreement before resuming his observation of their surroundings.

About a minute later, the blonde felt a tap on his shoulder and looked at his raven-haired friend. Ninten pointed ahead, directly at three pink spots in the buses.

It was obvious who they were, and Lucas was already charging up a PK Love Alpha without waiting for instructions. He let loose the barrage on the unsuspecting soldiers. He heard their squeals as they were hit and sent sprawling, either knocked out or dead.

"We have to move before more come in," Ninten said, turning back to Paula and the now-recovered Ana.

Before he could continue, the sound of stomps seized their attention, Lucas whipping around to see...some sort of slab of clay with arms, legs, and a face charging right at them.

However, a PK Freeze had intercepted it, freezing it in a chunk of ice. Ninten drew his Giant Knife and slashed the block of ice (and the clay-thing) in half in the exact same motion.

He quickly whipped his head around. "It's too late to run! Take cover!" he ordered as a horde of Pigmasks with several strange creatures mixed in with their ranks charged out of the undergrowth right at them.

Lucas quickly ducked behind a large rock just before the first barrage of lasers made contact with the stone. He felt it shake as he pressed his back against it, though it held. He glanced to his right to see Ninten behind a similar rock while Paula and Ana had fallen back into some bushes, managing to weather the storm with their PSI Shields.

Lucas growled as he launched a PK Love Beta at where the fire was coming from. He watched as several Pigmasks were hit with others scattering. Paula fired off a PK Thunder Beta, connecting with a mechanical mole and a Pigmask.

However, most of the Pigmasks had closed in too close for comfort, forcing the PSI users to fight hand to hand at this point.

Lucas kicked the first attacker on his knee and backhanded him, sending him sprawling in the muck. However, more of those strange creatures were incoming, Lucas narrowly dodging a mole with drills for arms. Lucas blew the whole lot away with a quick burst of PK Love Alpha.

"Just what are these things?" Lucas wondered as several of his foes recovered.

Paula jumped in front of Lucas, hands blazing with fire. She let it loose on the mechanical fiends, incinerating several of them while the survivors rolled in the muck to extinguish the flames.

"I don't know, but we have no time to worry about that!" Paula replied, slicing and thrusting her rapier as more Pigmasks tried to close in.

Lucas glanced in front of her to see even more Pigmasks mixed in with more of those creatures charging directly towards the princess. _'Not if I can help it,'_ he growled as he charged up a PK Love Beta, letting the hexagons lose on the rebels. Paula gave him a look of gratitude once the last of the Pigmasks she was fighting fell.

The duo nodded at each other, reaching an unspoken agreement. They charged, Paula blasting several more adversaries with PK Thunder as Lucas clobbered some of the strange creatures and Pigmasks with his bat and fists. It seemed as no matter what the Pigmasks could throw at them, the PSI users were able to eliminate the small groups the Pigmasks sent in to attack.

Despite their successes, far more Pigmasks were incoming though there weren't any more of those weird creatures among them. Lucas glanced over to his right where he saw Paula make fried pork out of Pigmasks and cut down a few mechanical moles. Ninten was carving a swathe of destruction with his Giant Knife to Lucas's left, with Ana firing beams to cover him and take down any that survived his charge.

Lucas fired off a PK Love Alpha to cover Paula as she staggered back from a hit. "You okay?" he asked, running over to the princess.

"I'm fine…but we're losing," Paula replied, looking around. "There's too many of them; we can't take much more of this."

Lucas grit his teeth in frustration. "We have to keep trying," he replied, clenching his fist.

Then, Lucas's eyes widened as he registered that same feeling that had been bothering him before, only stronger. Lucas stiffened as he looked wildly around. _'Where? Where is that coming from?'_

"Lucas!" Paula cried grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "What is it?"

"Sorry," Lucas apologized; realizing he nearly lost his head there. "I felt something...something familiar," he said. "But I can't put my finger on it." He felt the same sensation pulsate through his body, but this time directing him in a specific direction. The blonde teen looked upward.

He couldn't exactly make eye-contact with the other boy hovering in the air, but it was about as close as it could come with him unable to see through the masked boy's visor. He barely registered Paula's voice as he stared down his adversary; all sounds of the battle suddenly became muffled as the sensation became stronger, strong enough to make him feel lightheaded and dizzy.

But that brief contact passed, Lucas's senses returning to normal. The mysterious adversary pointed his yellow sword at the boy his gaze was focused on, sword sparkling with electricity. He raised it...

But before he could bring it down, a PK Beam Beta nailed one of his wings. It was enough for the mysterious adversary to go spiraling through the air, crashing on the ground.

It seemed as though a pause had come over the battle. All the Pigmasks who witnessed the sight could only stare at the dust cloud that formed from the crash. The few chimeras left were dispatched by Ninten's blade or Ana's PSI; Paula and Lucas only stared at where their foe had crashed. But Lucas knew that he was not dead; his PSI was telling him that his foe was still quite alive and able to fight.

Both the princess and the villager glanced at each other, the latter stating, "It's not over yet," as he charged his PSI.

Sure enough, an energy blast streaked from out of the smoke, making contact with both Paula and Lucas's shields. They flared a reddish-yellow, but then shattered into millions of fragments. The smoke cleared a second later, revealing their enemy standing up, looking unharmed outside some torn clothes with blood and other fluids on it and dirt all over his uniform.

"Ninten! I can take him!" Lucas declared, his glare not wavering for a second as he and the masked boy stared each other down.

"Have Paula help you," Ninten called. "If he was able to survive a fall like that and still be able to fight, then your odds alone are bad. Me and Ana can take the rest of the Pigmasks."

Lucas would've protested, but at that moment Ninten was forced to contend with a few Pigmasks, and the chaos of battle again reigned supreme over the area.

It was Paula who made the first move, the princess hurling a PK Freeze Beta at their adversary as Lucas put PK Counters over them.

Their adversary strafed to the side, evading the attack and at the same time his right arm seemed to change. It seemed to separate into multiple panels, which reassembled into some sort of an arm cannon.

"What?" Lucas gaped in disbelief at the sight.

Paula growled as she unleashed a stream of PK Fire Beta against the Pigmask officer's cannon blast. However, it wasn't strong enough as the blast was able to cut through the flames and connect with Paula, sending her sprawling onto the ground.

"Paula!" he cried, trying to run over to use Lifeup on her wounds. But his foe didn't give him the chance, as Lucas noticed his counter shield dissipate into the air again. He was barely able to dodge the masked boy's sword slash.

Lucas growled as he whipped out his bat, charging it with PSI to give it the durability to enable its survival against a sword. Lucas swung with his bat several times, his adversary deflecting or parrying every single attack. Soon, the PSI user knocked Lucas's bat aside, exposing an opening in the blonde's defenses, slamming him in the chest with his arm cannon. Lucas's vision blurred as he fell backwards, gasping for breath. As his vision refocused, he could see his enemy standing above him, a foot on his chest and sword pointed directly at him.

However, he was forced to block a stab from a rapier, forcing him to abort his finishing blow, parrying Paula's relentless attacks. As Lucas sat up, Paula used a PK Thunder Beta at point-blank range after one such parry. It caught the masked boy completely unawares, the attack connecting with his chest, forcing him to let go of his sword. The masked foe quickly recovered and went on the attack, coming in so fast she had no time to block his punches and she too dropped her weapon.

Lucas finally recovered from his injuries swung his bat at his enigmatic foe, only to meet the hard surface of his arm cannon. Lucas had no time before his adversary seized him and threw him onto the ground. Lucas managed to kick the inside of his knee, however, and send him to the ground, the blonde taking this chance to roll away to a safe distance to assess the situation.

Paula had retrieved her rapier and was looking worse for the wear, and Lucas felt as though he wasn't much better. Despite the damage they managed to do on their foe, he was still able to fight, and they were running out of PSI energy after the prolonged battle. Lucas glanced to the left to see Ninten and Ana fall back to them, the four friends back to back.

"There's too many of them!" Ana panted through her breathing.

"Get us out of here Ninten!" Paula ordered.

"Consider it done," Ninten smirked as he used his already-charged 4th-D Slip, up the entire group vanishing from sight.

"Thank goodness that worked," Lucas sighed in relief, noting how close of a call they had.

"We're not out of the woods yet, so don't relax now," Ninten told him as he began to walk through the temporary dimension. "For now let's just find someplace to rest and recuperate. We're in no condition to search for the survivors."

"Hopefully it'll be easier than trekking through the swamp," Lucas flatly stated.

* * *

 **So how'd I do? I hope this wasn't as bad as I feared...Well, that was worded incorrectly. I don't think it was 'bad' per se, but not as good as the other chapters. But anyway, I'll have more time to work on fanfics in general over Winter Break, therefore allowing me to take a day off if I feel the need, but the next chapter hopefully would get out in one week, along with the one following that. Well, have a great day!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _Social Class: Unlike Europe in the Renaissance era, Eagleland has no nobility to boast of. Instead, some of the concepts of a Republic were transferred when the Confederation was formed with elected representatives to give the feel of 'democracy' to the ordinary citizen. However, it is the city-states that have the real authority._

 _Eagleland's Special Forces: The central Eagleland government has the authority to field two small forces of trained soldiers as a standing army. One of these is the Royal Guard, the personal force of the Royal Family. Then, there's the Eagleland Army, not as elite as the Guard, but one of its sub-branches, Special Forces, comes close. They are more numerous than the guard and they are trained in not only hand-to-hand and weapons combat, but also guerrilla warfare and coordinating as a team._

 _Pigmask Ranking: The Pigmasks are…unique in how they distinguish between ranks. As opposed to more stripes or special-colored armor, their outfit is color-coded depending on their rank. Pink is just a regular enlisted soldier, which is just one entire rank. Blue are Captains while Green signifies Major. These two designations are among the more common leaders that are on the field. White is Colonel, which there aren't many, so they use this as an excuse not to go into battle with their troops. Black are Generals, which are too important to risk in a typical battle, only when they truly need the personal leadership of the General._


	10. Arc 1: Destination

***I am busy playing on my 3DS* (All of a sudden, a flash of light occurs as well as the sound of something breaking, and an awfully familiar figure is visible (hint; it wasn't anything related to the Fourth Wall))**

 **Ninten: Hey PSIBoy, what are you doing?**

 **PSIBoy: *Too focused on controlling 3 Links to notice***

 **Ninten: PSIBoy? Hello? You there? *Waves hand in front of my face* Ugh, there's no way he'll get the update out in time…Wait, unless** _ **he**_ **doesn't…*Grins smugly* OY! MEWTWO!**

 ***Another flash of light accompanied by the sound of something breaking (totally not the Fourth Wall for the second time)***

 **Mewtwo: Yes? What is it Ness?**

 **Ninten: *Deadpans*…Mewtwo, do I** _ **really**_ **look like Ness?**

 **Mewtwo: Sorry, force of habit. So why did you summon me?**

 **Ninten: I need your help with this. *Points at me* The author is too obsessed with his game to continue to write the story. _And_ this chapter is **_**so close to coming out**_ **.**

 **Mewtwo: So I need to confiscate this? *Grabs my 3DS with his psychic powers***

 **PSIBoy: NOOOOOOOO! GIVE IT BACK!**

 **Ninten: *Deadpans* If I wanted to do that I would've done it myself. Give it back Mewtwo.**

 **Mewtwo: *Grumbles* Fine… *Gives back 3DS***

 **PSIBoy: Yay! *Continues trying to kill monsters***

 **Ninten:** _ **Anyway,**_ **what I want to ask you is try to help me apply the finishing touches to this chapter.**

 **Mewtwo: Couldn't you technically do it yourself?**

 **Ninten: I'm a warrior, not a writer! And you're one of the smartest Pokémon in existence! If there's anyone who can help me do this, it's you.**

 **Mewtwo: On one condition. You will convince the author to write a fic on me one of these days.**

 **Ninten: I'm not sure about an actual multi-chaptered fic, but maybe a oneshot? And it might take a while for the author to get that out.**

 **Mewtwo: Acceptable.**

 **Ninten: All right. We just gotta make the final edits, type up the ANs, respond to the reviews, and do the disclaimer. Ready?**

 **Mewtwo: Yes.**

* * *

 **Review Responses**

 **Guest**

Ninten: **Well, glad you liked the author's work so far. We'll be sure to tell him about your compliment.**

Mewtwo: **The review went up on Tuesday. I'm pretty sure the author saw it for himself.**

PSIBoy: ***Looks up from game* Yeah, thanks for the compliment! Meant a lot to me, knowing people like my work. *Goes back to game***

Mewtwo: **Why did I agree to do this...?**

 **Connor the speling pro**

Ninten: **That's okay. To be honest, the author wasn't too proud of the chapter to be blunt.**

Mewtwo: **I guess the author has more potential than I thought if he managed to balance that out that you liked.**

Ninten: ***Shoots a warning glance at Mewtwo, then turns back to the screen* I shall thank you for the tip since the author...is quite busy right now. *Looks at me taking on a boss* I think the author just wanted Felix in just for that one scene, hence why he didn't go into detail. And thanks for the advice on Holland. And spoilers; she appears in this chapter too, so she doesn't meet Levins's fate in the prologue.**

 **Unimportant**

Ninten: **First, don't view yourself as unimportant. The author values all advice that can be given to him.**

Mewtwo: **He is insignificant next to the most powerful Pokemon in existence.**

Ninten: ***Deadpans*** **Don't try to be another Darth Vader wannabe. Anyway, there's a perfectly logical explanation behind that.**

Mewtwo: **The Masked Man's lightning sword acts like a lightning rod, attracting all lightning to it. In addition, it _absorbs_ the electricity, meaning that it becomes far more powerful. Stupid author for not making that clear...**

Ninten: **He was planning on explaining that later, and he thought he was explicit enough to suffice. I apologize on his behalf for the misunderstanding.** **Not exactly how it works as in Mother 3, since the Masked Man isn't weak against lighting, but this is an AU anyway, so it doesn't have to be entirely accurate. But even if he could deflect psychic lightning with his sword, getting stabbed through the heart or bashed on the head isn't a pleasant feeling anyway. Best to avoid that.**

Mewtwo: **Also, while it was stated that infusing weapons with PSI makes them more durable, but the author hasn't made clear that their power increases too nor the fact that shields won't stop the entire impact of an object if enough power is used. Like the arrows would simply bounce off the Masked Man's shield yet Lucas's bat could pose a great threat due to the PSI it was infused with...not to mention, it would be severely weakened by his impact with the ground.** **And the big reveal with the Claus/Masked Man relationship hasn't been confirmed. Granted, there's significant evidence, but he could pull something like 'Zelda isn't actually Shiek' or something.**

* * *

 **Ninten: The author does not own Earthbound or anything in the fic other than the OCs and plot.**

 **Mewtwo: And make sure you enjoy the chapter,** _ **or else…**_ ***Eyes start glowing***

 **Ninten: *Sigh* Mewtwo, don't threaten the readers. That will make them enjoy it less.**

 **Mewtwo: Fine…But still, enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

It seemed forever since they started to flee from the Pigmasks. Ninten was still leading the pack as they slogged back through parts of the swamp they had already traversed. Or was it a different part? Ninten tried to retain his sense of direction, but with the fatigue from the day's earlier events, it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain his concentration.

Just as he was losing hope of any sort of a quick exit, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. "There," he uttered, pointing at the wooden cabin he had spotted sitting on a dry bank.

"That's odd," Lucas observed. "Why would anyone want to live out here in the first place?"

"Hopefully they'll let us stay regardless," Paula replied.

"Only one way to find out," Ninten said as he got under way again, slogging in the direction of the cabin, knowing his friends were right behind him.

He quickly felt his feet on dry land once again, and he walked over to the nearby window to peek inside. "…Looks abandoned," he observed. "It's dark and from what little I can see there seems to be dust and a few cobwebs inside."

The door was right next to the window so Ninten was able to simply reach over and turn the knob. Fortunately, it wasn't locked and they were able to enter without having to mess with the lock.

He looked above and saw a single chandelier hanging with several candles. "Paula, do you mind lighting that up?" he asked, pointing at the chandelier.

"Not at all," the princess replied, easily lighting the candles, flooding the room with light.

He saw Ana practically collapse on the bed instantly. The veteran felt a small twinge of guilt of her suffering through this. She didn't have to come, and she was suffering because she did. _'She would've done so regardless of your consent,'_ his thoughts whispered to him.

Lucas was busy tending to his wounds on a chair, the green glow of his PSI lighting up the room even more as Paula saw next to Ana, tucking her under the covers.

"You holding up Lucas?" he asked.

"I'm okay," he replied neutrally. "But that was a disaster."

"We're lucky that all of us got out of there alive," Ninten observed.

"But how are we gonna reach Ellay now?" Lucas inquired. "We can't get through, the reinforcements have been crushed…We're in Pigmask territory and there's no way we can get through in our state!" Ninten let Lucas rant, knowing that it would probably be best if he let out his frustration now as opposed to holding it in, though another part of him kinda agreed with Lucas as ashamed of it he was.

"We'll have to figure something out after we get some rest," Ninten told him. "There's no way we're done yet…"

* * *

The Pigmask morale was quite high, having not only beaten off the reinforcement army, but also four PSI users. Despite suffering fairly heavy casualities, they were still in fighting condition and could expect quite the reward for their service today. Most of their forces were celebrating back at their camps, from ordinary grunts to Colonels. Only their Commander and a handful of his most trusted soldiers and officers remained alert, ready for any other dangers.

The latter group were justified in their position. They had a purpose for being in this forsaken swamp after all; preventing reinforcements from arriving. Even though they had destroyed the reinforcement effort as well as head off several powerful PSI users, they knew it was too early to relax.

They were both right and wrong. Right in the fact that it was unwise to let their guard down right then…But wrong for a reason that they had not foreseen.

The force they decimated was only the vanguard.

Yes, they had inflicted a crushing defeat on the Eagleland forces in that battle, but the main force was several hours behind the advance force. The vanguard was supposed to reach the Ellay garrison first and relieve them as well as determine the safety of the approach and to take out Pigmask reconnaissance forces in the area. But now the main force had received word of the battle, and opted for a different route through the swamp.

The route they had marched down wasn't as quick, but it had less grimy water to bog them down, meaning that they could bring their numerical strength to bear now that their forces were more mobile, and their cavalry could be used to greater effect due to their sheer mobility. And given the information relayed from the remnants of the vanguard, a plan was devised to catch that PSI user and neutralize him, as well as intelligence on those...creatures that they might run into.

The commander of the Eagleland forces stood on top of a small hill, silently observing one of the Pigmask camps through his telescope. He couldn't help but feel contempt for them; how they were neglecting their duty for celebration. They hadn't even considered the possibility of another attack, yet they felt like they could relax? Just goes to show the lack of discipline that runs through their army. Still, a number of Pigmasks remained observing among some of those...creatures from earlier.

He lowered the telescope as he crept back down, glad that he wasn't spotted. With what he gathered, his brain began to formulate a general attack strategy to take complete advantage of the surprise they would achieve.

As he reached the foot of the hill, a group of soldiers; his personal guard and three cavalrymen as well as his executive officer and one of the commanders in the vanguard force awaited him. "You were right in how hideous those creatures are, captain," he said.

Captain Holland nodded. The colonel's executive moment spoke up. "What did you see?" he asked.

"Most of the Pigmasks are merely celebrating, thinking the battle's over," the colonel said. "There were some still on guard, mixed in with some of the creatures, but not many."

"So what's the plan, colonel?" Holland asked.

"We have to hit hard and fast," the colonel replied. "Captain Holland, I want you to go and organize what's left of the vanguard; have it join up with the reserves in the event we need them."

"Understood," she replied, saluting.

"You three," the colonel said, pointing at the three cavalrymen. "I want you all to relay this to the commanders of each part of the line. The flanks will move first, using the majority of their cavalry to break through the line and come around the back, encircling them. The center will attack head-on, pushing the Pigmasks back into the trap. Understood?"

"Yes sir," the messengers saluted, riding off on their horses.

The colonel turned towards his executive officer. "Well, let's get a move on. We've got a battle to win here," he said.

"Yes sir," his second replied, saluting as they began to head back to the main line.

Just before he melted back into the mass of soldiers, the colonel took one last look in the direction of the Pigmask soldiers. His gaze hardened as he mused to himself how this was the best chance to avenge many of the losses Eagleland's armies had sustained during the war.

"March up to the hill, but wait for the signal," the colonel ordered the commander of the center.

"Yes sir!" the central commander replied, saluting. Horns blew softly through the line as the soldiers began to march forward. It was an inspiring sight to the colonel as he fell behind the line.

As soon as they halted on the top of the hill, he heard battle horns from both flanks. He looked both ways to see the cavalry race ahead towards the areas with the various Pigmask camps. There was no going back now.

* * *

Lucas jerked up, looking around the room in panic. He shook his head, trying to think about what that sound was and where it came from.

"What was that?" he heard Paula ask. His ears perked up when he heard the sound of...yelling nearby. And the echoing of metals slamming into each other.

"War horns I'm guessing, given that there's a battle raging not too far from here," Ninten reasoned.

"I thought Eagleland's forces were destroyed!" Lucas countered.

"So did I," the veteran admitted. "It might not have been as much of a rout as I thought, but we should look anyway."

Lucas pondered over this new information as he got up off of the sofa. So Eagleland's forces really were still in the area? And they were still able to fight even after they had suffered a terrible defeat? How?

 _'I guess I'll find out soon enough,'_ he told himself as he followed the others out. He would just have to wait until he got the opportunity to ask.

* * *

The colonel barked out orders over the roar of battle as the two armies clashed. Well, the Pigmasks were not at their most efficient given that most of their forces were in the midst of celebrating and thus were taken completely by surprise. Psychologically, it was a major advantage for the Eagleland forces even though those that were on alert were putting up a stout defense, but those were in the minority. The panic among the Pigmask forces was so severe that several Pigmasks simply dropped their weapons and fled without the order to retreat.

Still, there was the occasional strange creature that would throw itself into the midst of battle, but a group of soldiers could easily take them down, and there weren't many of those left. The colonel watched as one such mechanical caribou fell from a multitude of spears and pikes piercing its hide.

But he also kept his eye on the sky, waiting for that boy in black that several of the survivors had warned about. And sure enough, there he was, advancing right towards him, eyes hidden by the visor jutting from his gray helmet.

The colonel turned towards the unit he specifically requested to be deployed right behind him and bellowed, "Fire!" The three PSI users with them fired off their attacks, each one using a different elemental attack as the archers, crossbowmen, and musketmen opened fire as well. The bullets and arrows simply bounced off of the shield doing little to no visible damage, but it was a nearly constant stream. The colonel knew that it had to be quite strained in the few seconds since they opened fire.

Of the PSI attacks, PK Thunder reached their enemy first. Unfortunately, it didn't destroy the boy's shield (it was a regular shield, not a PSI shield), and it was redirected into the Masked Man's sword. It seemed to radiate a yellow aura after the attack finished.

PK Fire was the second to hit home, burning the foe's skin and clothes with its fire. However, the enigmatic foe held back most of it with sheer telekinesis, extinguishing any fire the same way.

PK Freeze was the most effective. It didn't exactly hit its intended target, but froze one of the bat-like wings. Without its stabilization, the boy was unable to remain in the air, barely managing to save himself from another crash landing with telekinesis.

The colonel watched as his plan came to fruition as several swordsmen, pikemen, and longswordsmen surrounded the enemy PSI user as some cavalry rode on the outside to prevent the 'siege' from breaking.

However, they were all blown away by some sort of attack. The colonel's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the enemy standing in a miniature crater, virtually unharmed outside of the injuries he sustained from the PSI bombardment. Speaking of the PSI users, they had moved in front of the colonel, charging up more of their attacks.

The boy in black managed to evade the attacks as his arm transformed into its arm cannon to the colonel's disbelief, who barely prevented himself from opening his mouth in shock. The enemy took aim and fired, the blast slamming into one of the PSI users, sending him to the ground. However, between everything that was the only significant damage he was able to do as his regular shield finally broke from all the pressure.

The enigmatic foe charged up his PSI, forming some sort of hexagonal shape. "Get out of the way!" one of the soldiers shouted just as the colonel cracked the whip, making his horse sprint out of the way.

However, several others were not so lucky, as the stream of hexagons caught them and send them flying, man and horse alike.

With that final attack, the Pigmask boy turned around and sprinted into the undergrowth, disappearing from sight among the Pigmasks who had arrived to assist him. "Damn," the colonel muttered as he lost sight of him. He looked back over the destruction caused. "Medic!" he cried.

"We can take care of it Colonel Livingston." The Eagleland commander turned around to see the three PSI users that engaged the enemy.

"You sure?" Livingston asked one of them. "You did take a nasty hit from him, or did you already heal that?"

"It's taken care of," the PSI user replied. "But thank you for the concern."

"You're welcome. And thank you for taking care of them," Livingston said as he urged his horse forward, back to the front lines of the battle, which was drawing to a close.

"Sir!" a soldier ran up to the colonel. Our cavalry on each flank have reported counterattacks by these 'tanks'. They're taking heavy losses and they can't destroy them without the help of PSI users."

"Have them fall back; have our demolition units assist the PSI users in taking them out," Livingston quickly ordered. When the messenger left, Livingston grit his teeth. _'I guess battle doesn't work out the way you intend it at all,'_ he supposed, though that didn't alleviate his frustration at being unable to take out more of the enemy.

* * *

It wasn't easy for Lucas to keep up with their pace. Despite the rest they had gotten, it was hard to ignore how tired he felt already. He supposed the battle drained more out of them than they expected since even Ninten seemed rather strained.

In fact, they would've stayed behind at the cabin if this wasn't possibly their only chance to hook up with Eagleland's forces and help them against the Pigmasks. They were his enemy, and therefore they must fall.

They needed no map because the yelling and sounds of steel clashing drew them to the area. As they got closer, they could distinguish a battle cry from a cry of agony, which unnerved Lucas, but he didn't break. He noticed that the sounds seemed to die out, meaning that the battle was likely drawing to a close already. It was enough for them to instinctively pick up their pace in fear of losing them.

That's when a group of swordsmen emerged into the clearing they were just entering. Instead of immediately attacking, both groups merely stared at each other, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was quite surreal to Lucas.

One of the soldiers cleared his throat as he walked forward. "What business might a group of kids have in the middle of this swamp?" he asked.

 _'Kids?'_ Lucas nearly growled, but managed to keep the thought inside his head. Fortunately, he didn't need to reply to his rude behavior."

"Calm yourself corporal," another soldier rebuked. "Getting worked up like this will only make them less willing to cooperate."

"We need answers, private," the first soldier snapped. "There's no telling if these are Pigmask scum or not."

Lucas opened his mouth about to protest, but he saw Ninten shake his head. The village boy took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Will this suffice?" Ninten asked, plucking the badge the mayor gave them off his shirt and showing it off.

The first soldier merely frowned. "Who let kids like you fight?" he asked sharply.

"Mayor Felix," Ninten answered. "We're PSI users." A stick hovered above the ground just to prove his point.

"Oh," the first soldier stated. "I apologize. I didn't know that you four were PSI users."

"We just want to see the commander in charge of this force, that's all," Ninten explained.

"Well, it is truly a good thing you four have put your powers to use for. We can use more killers on our side," the soldier said.

Lucas heard Ana audibly gulp from that and he himself nervously fidgeted. "Will you _please_ let us see your commander?" Ninten asked, trying to keep his cool.

"Private Wood, go and escort them to the colonel. Everyone else, continue pursuit of the enemy."

"Yes sir!" all of the soldier immediately barked, saluting as they headed off deeper into the swampland except for one.

The one Lucas assumed was Private Wood looked at them and said, "Well, come along," as he walked away.

Ninten turned around to face the group. "We have to talk later," he told them before he fell into line behind the private. Lucas sighed as he followed. This treatment wasn't what he had been expecting from the army.

* * *

Ninten kept his eyes on the soldier ahead of him, not out of suspicion, but because he didn't want to lose him in the pandemonium. He glanced to his right to see Pigmasks falling back into the woods. It relived him to see Eagleland's forces in good shape, but what with that defeat in the swamp?

"Commander!" the soldier cried, snapping Ninten out of his thoughts.

"Yes soldier?" the voice of the commander replied.

"I have four PSI users who want to speak with you," the soldier explained, gesturing to them.

The colonel took a look at them. "I don't believe you four are a part of my forces, are you?" he questioned.

"I got separated from my unit in the first days of the war and was lost," Ninten explained...not entirely a lie. "The others traveled with me as I tried to find my way back to friendly lines, though it was easier said than done."

The commander turned to their escort and said, "Thank you soldier. Go and return to your unit."

The soldier gave one last salute before marching off into the distance. Livingston watched him go with a sigh, then turned to them, fumbling around in his pocket.

"Which unit were you from?" Livingston asked.

"Royal Guard."

Livingston's eyes widened as he nearly dropped the thing he grabbed in his hand. "You're even younger than the one I heard is in Ellay right now..." he muttered to himself. "So how'd you make it out alive?" he inquired.

"I was tasked with escorting the princess to safety," Ninten explained. "I crossed swords with a high-ranking PSI user from the Pigmasks, and we were separated.

"So you don't know where she is?"

"She's right next to us," Ninten said, glancing at Paula. "We met up at a small town a few hours from Fiveopilis," he explained upon seeing the colonel's widening eyes.

"...This day certainly brought on far more events than I expected," Livingston remarked. "So did you get into any skirmishes on your way here?"

"We...ran into a Pigmask force, though they weren't that coordinated in engaging us," Ninten told him. "We were lucky to get out alive as it was, after evidence of a major defeat of Eagleland's forces...speaking of which, how is it that this force still intact after the defeat?"

"You ran into the same force that tore apart our vanguard," Livingston explained. "I know that normally the vanguard would be kept in closer proximity to the main force and only be sent out further ahead to secure ground when a battle is imminent, but the situation at Ellay was so dire that we sent our fastest foot soldiers ahead to reinforce quickly or at least assist with evacuations if we could not hold it. _This_ is the main force," he finished as he popped the pipe in his hand into his mouth and lit what was in it.

Ninten glanced back to see Ana shuffling uncomfortably at the sight and Lucas scowling. But he made no comment; it wasn't like that he didn't get stressed during his time with the Royal Guard, especially when he was in charge of his own platoon before being made the bodyguard of the princess.

"So what are your orders?" he asked, dismissing the thought.

"Go to the reserves," Livingston instructed. "They're just over that hill. Report to Captain Holland; she's in overall command of what's left of the vanguard, which is around the center of the force, since the higher-ups of that were killed in battle. I'll see to it that a messenger will lead you to her."

"Understood," Ninten said, saluting as one of the horsemen next to Livingston dismounted as per his instructions.

* * *

"I am quite...uncomfortable," Ana whispered as they weaved through the ranks, trying to keep up with the messenger who seemed to only want to just get his job done and go back.

"That's an understatement," Lucas scoffed. Ninten glanced back to see him looking annoyed at everyone around him. "I feel like I'm on display, like some sort of animal! Just because of what we can do! Are people _really_ this prejudiced?"

"Don't lose sight of what is good in this world," Ninten told him despite the attention. "There's us four and others worth fighting for, right?"

He heard Lucas grumble as the veteran saw him glare off to the side. He couldn't blame him given his reaction to his realization was very similar to that. He just adapted to it.

Finally, they squeezed through the last of the soldiers to find a woman next to a makeshift table with a book in hand. She evidently noticed their approach given that she glanced up and spotted them as they approached.

"Captain Holland," the messenger said as he saluted.

"Yes soldier?" she asked, standing up and saluting back.

"Colonel Livingston has assigned you these four PSI users to you until we get to Ellay," the messenger relayed.

The captain looked at each of them, a frown etched on her face. Ninten recognized the eyes and posture, instantly realizing that she had been in at least a few fights, and he had little doubt that she had earned the rank. He could also understand her misgivings about them, but as long as she wasn't blatantly rude because of that, he didn't mind.

"Very well then, you're excused," she said. The messenger saluted one last time as he turned around to head back to his own commander.

"So all four of you are PSI users?" she asked.

"Yes," Ninten replied.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you four were dragged into this," she said. "Kids fighting in war...I guess I should know better, especially when I've seen kids under eighteen in the army. No doubt anyone, whether Eagleland or Pigmask, would want to get as many as they could, not actually viewing them as people," she stated, her tone bitter.

Ninten turned toward the other three. "Go and get some rest," he said. "You'll need it for later."

Lucas and Paula nodded as they settled down near the edge of camp, bags plunking onto the ground. Only Ana remained. "Well, if you want to stay, feel free," Ninten shrugged as he turned back to Holland.

"You seem like a fighter, especially with that big-ass blade on your back," she observed, noting the weapon in question.

"I was enlisted in the Royal Guard three years back; here," Ninten replied, slinging his sheath off his back.

Holland took it with wide eyes. "Well I'll be..."

"Yeah, not a lot believe me when I say it," Ninten chuckled. "Probably because they think I'm just so desperate for attention that I make up these wild fabrications that couldn't possibly be true. And then I show them that to make them cry."

"That's quite...dramatic," Holland smirked. "I think I'm starting to like you. Wait, what's your name?"

"Ninten. Lieutenant Ninten Fubiki," Ninten answered. "What's yours?"

"...Captain Maggie Holland," she replied after a moment of hesitation. Ninten could tell she wasn't too...fond of her first name, but he didn't comment on that. "So you been in a battle yet?" she asked.

"In this war or overall?"

"Overall."

"My first one was in Summers."

Holland actually cringed at that. "Was it as nasty as people say?" she asked.

"Yep," Ninten nodded. "By the time the Royal Guard was through, it was a bloodbath. I...lost a good friend on that day."

"I'm sorry," Holland said.

"It's fine. I've gotten better about it over the years," Ninten commented. "There were a few skirmishes with the Pigmasks prior to the war, but nothing major."

"They were around before the war?" Ana cringed.

"Yeah," Holland answered. "At that point, the Pigmasks were more of an extremist group of terrorists, but we didn't consider them a big threat. We had no idea how wrong we were..."

"So you're in Special Forces?" Ninten changed the subject, pointing out the insignia on one of her sleeves.

"Yep," Holland confirmed. "But they transferred me to lead a bunch of militiamen into the battle instead of the Special Forces contingent. Thought I could keep them in line in a fight."

"What about your old unit?"

"They just promoted one of the lieutenants to replace me," Holland replied. "Now I'm in charge of what's left of the vanguard because so many of the other commanders were killed."

"But aren't there other captains?" Ninten asked.

"Yes; it's just temporary," Holland explained. "When we get to Ellay, the units will be reorganized and probably will be sent back to be rebuilt."

"So how do you think we're faring in the war?" Ninten asked. "I've...been out of the loop for a while now, and I want someone else other than a mayor who probably has no military experience at all to give their two cents."

"We were taken by surprise by the initial attacks and lost a lot of ground," Holland analyzed, glancing at the map. "But the Pigmask commanders are not the most competent and their soldiers lack training. They seemed to be more concerned with fighting purely offensively even when we built up heavy resistance, which works to our advantage."

"What about the lives lost?" Ana asked, for the first time joining in on the conversation.

"Sadly, it's a part of war," Holland sighed. "When you're in command, you cannot afford to dwell on the deaths of others. I'm not saying that you shouldn't bat an eye when your soldiers do die, but if I grieved for every single soldier lost from the vanguard, I'd be an emotional wreck. I have enough stress to deal with as a commander. Make one mistake, and so many could wind up dead..."

"How do you deal with it? All the death and killing?" Ana inquired.

"Is this about the swamp?" Ninten asked, recalling how she reacted when she first saw the corpses. Ana nodded as she glanced away, evidently embarassed by her behavior.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," Ninten reassured her. "I admit, it...took me a while to learn how to cope after seeing action for the first time in Summers. I eventually began to tell myself that every person, Eagleland, Pigmask, rioter...they should know what they're getting into, and it was their choice to take the front lines of the war."

"I try to convince myself that for every death I save far more people," Holland added. "It's cold, but I was never that warm to begin with." She looked off into the distance, eyes seemingly far away. "Whatever their intent, I doubt the Pigmasks could care less about the people themselves...at least, their leaders. They only want to gain power, and if this war gets much larger or drags on for more than another month...humanity might not make it."

Ninten nodded gravely. "In battle, there is going to be death, a lot of it. I remember the time when someone got a bullet in their head because I wasn't fast enough to put up a shield, got a limb cut off because I arrived too late...there's things I regret, but there truly is nothing I could've done unless I could've foreseen it."

"Why would anyone want war then?" Ana whimpered.

"That's a question I cannot answer," Ninten said as he looked away. "Sometimes, that is the only option, like right now. The Pigmasks will not back down, so neither will we. We are enduring fine as it is, until they began to try to dictate how things are going," he growled, feeling rage build up in him.

"Not like we can walk up to them and ask them 'why' either," Holland remarked.

Ana nodded, eyes appearing melancholy. Ninten wished that she didn't have to be like this, but she had to learn what war was like. This was inevitable one way or another.

"Wait, is that actually a romance novel?" Ana asked, gesturing to the book on the table.

"It was the only book I could find before we marched," Holland said.

"We won't tell anyone," Ninten smirked.

* * *

Lucas glanced around the battered forces that comprised of what was left of the vanguard as they began to march, having just received orders to get underway since the main force had wrapped up the battle and was now moving on ahead. That captain was right when she said there wasn't a lot left. There were about fifty soldiers out of...what was it that she said? Two hundred? Three hundred? Just the thought of that many lives being taken was sufficient to make Lucas depressed. _'Am I even doing the right thing by doing this?'_ he wondered to himself.

Most of the forces seemed to be militiamen, dressed in attire that reminded him of the militia back in his home village prior to the battle. However, there were some regular soldiers with armor that was dirtied by the grime of the swamp or the blood that was spilled during the battle. One of them walked right next to the blonde boy, making him uncomfortable that he might try to start up a conversation.

"Hey," the soldier said.

Lucas resisted a groan, realizing that his desire for silence wouldn't be met. He regarded the soldier with a sidewards glance, and testily replied, "Yeah, what?" showing his aversion to conversation with him.

The soldier backed up, holding his hands in front of him. "Whoa there, I was just gonna ask for your name," he replied. "I'm James. James Mill."

"...Lucas," the boy hesitated a moment before answering.

"So Lucas," James proceeded, to Lucas's mounting irritation. "I heard you and a few others went up against a number of Pigmasks recently," he said.

"We did," Lucas replied dismissively, already fearing the outcome.

"So how did you pull it off?" Lucas glanced at James, surprised by the question. He would've expected him to start going fanboy over him instead of expressing genuine curiosity like he did right now.

Not that we was gonna let his guard down anyway.

"What I mean is that the force you went up against, it annihilated most of the vanguard force. Yet you and your friends not only inflicted heavy losses on them, but without permanent injury. How?"

"All four of us were PSI users," Lucas explained after a moment of pondering. "We worked as a team; one working primarily as hand-to-hand while the other providing support. But then their PSI user showed up...he turned the tide single-handedly in an instant, forcing me and one other to take him on while the Pigmask swamp began to overwhelm the other two."

"I know that guy," James said as he twirled a stick in his hand. Lucas perked up, intrigued by this new information. "He took out the commander of the vanguard and one of our PSI users in a single attack; an overpowered PK Thunder. I don't know how well we would've fared if he hadn't intervened, but that was a decisive blow regardless. With no commander, we could not coordinate and the rest of our morale collapsed when we saw what his attack did."

"It's that powerful?"

"Weren't you faced with that attack?" James asked. "I would think that he would use it on you four to kill you all for certain. Why waste such a good opportunity like that?"

"He was blasted out of the sky before he could," Lucas flatly stated. "He didn't have time to charge it after that."

"Ah, effective strategy."

"Why do you even care?" Lucas testily snapped. "For all I know, you view us PSI users as nothing more than tools to throw into battle, or we're not important like that mayor in Fiveopilis believed before he realized that one of us was a Royal Guard."

"Don't lump me together with them," James replied, evidently trying to keep his cool. "It's true that many of us do view PSI users as tools, but I don't. There are others as well that share my viewpoint." He sighed. "I don't think I can convince you with words, but please give me and the others a chance."

"Then stop talking to me," Lucas growled.

"Alright...I'll leave you alone," James backed down. "It was nice getting to know you, Lucas."

Lucas didn't even respond as he fell back to where Paula was in the line. She glanced at him, face showing concern. Evidently, she had overheard their conversation, but he found he did not care about what she thought of his interaction with that soldier. He found for the first time he did not understand Ninten's devotion to the army given how prejudiced many of its ranks were against PSI users. _'Just...why does he put up with that?'_

* * *

It was less than a half an hour of marching when they finally saw buildings in the distance. "Ellay," Captain Holland remarked. "Wonder how the battle's going."

"We should find out one way or another," Ninten replied. "I just hope we aren't too late."

"We're not," Holland said, pointing at a small group of soldiers manning an outpost.

"Halt! Identify yourselves!" one of the soldiers demanded.

"I am Captain Holland of the third Threed company," the captain declared. "These are fellow PSI users that joined up with us."

"Ah, you're the ones Colonel Livingston had sent for," a different soldier remarked after he saluted. "He orders you to the command tent right outside the city, helping Colonel Lee and several other officers devise a plan to retake Ellay."

"Understood," Holland saluted back. "Well, let's not keep them waiting," she told the group, leading them where the soldiers pointed them to.

"So who is Colonel Lee?" Lucas asked after a few minutes of silence.

"He's the one in charge of the Ellay garrison the army left to keep the peace," Ninten said. "He was supposed to be transferred out a week ago, but they definately did not anticipate the siege."

"So we just wait outside until the meeting's finished, right?" Ana asked.

"No," Ninten answered, shaking his head. "All officers are briefed on the mission before an action, and PSI users count as officers...even if they are actually privates."

"That doesn't sound right," Lucas mused.

"PSI users have to go through rigorous enough exams and training that the sergeants can weed out any possible traitor, in theory," Ninten explained. "It's surprisingly efficient, and with so few PSI users in the military compared to ordinary soldiers, it makes sense to keep them informed."

"We're here," Holland announced, gesturing to the command tent.

"...So how do briefings work?" Ninten sighed at his friend's question.

"You'll find out in just a moment, Lucas," he informed. "First, we gotta get settled and prepared for the briefing," he added as they entered the room.

"Ah, Captain Holland. Welcome," the voice of Colonel Livingston greeted.

Ninten took a quick glance around the room. From numerous Lieutenants to the two Colonels to young PSI users stood around a single table. Ninten was able to squeeze into a spot, and glancing next to him he saw his companions managed to do the same.

"So this is the captain from the vanguard you spoke of?" the other colonel spoke up, scratching his brownish-white beard.

"Yes," Livinston replied. "She brought with her three PSI users to be briefed, one of them from the Royal Guard."

"Is that so?" the other man (whom Ninten presumed to be Colonel Lee) mused. "And where exactly is he?" he asked.

"He's right there," Livingston gestured. Ninten shuffled as he felt all eyes turn to him. He never was fond of being put in front of a crowd.

"Ninten?"

The veteran's ears perked up at the voice, instantly recognizing it. His eyes drifted to the source, landing on the all-too familiar person right beside the two Colonels.

"Poo?"

* * *

 **Ninten: Well, I'd say we did a pretty good job, right Mewtwo?**

 **Mewtwo: Indeed. Compared to the author. *Looks at me darkly. It has no effect since I am still happily playing the game***

 **Ninten: Now, now, Mewtwo, no need to get a swelled head over this. Let's just wrap this chapter up, okay? It already exceeded the author's projections in terms of length, so we don't want him to get a heart attack because we added a thousand unnecessary words to this, okay?**

 **Mewtwo: *Nods* Please review if you have any comments,** _ **or else**_ **-**

 **Ninten: *Deadpans* Mewtwo, we went over this. No threatening the readers.**

 **Mewtwo: Ugh, maybe you should do it then…**

 **Ninten: Like Mewtwo said, please review if you have any comments, and have a great day!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _Battle Horns: These are a common method of communication for massive armies since voices are limited in volume. There are different sounds for each command signaling charge, defend, retreat, and other meanings._

 _Eagleland Military Formations: Typical Eagleland military doctrine breaks up each military formation into five separate parts; middle, left flank, right flank, vanguard, and reserves. Each section is commanded by an officer that is of lesser rank to the overall commander of the unit. Each area has their own PSI users, though each flank typically has the more mobile troops as opposed to the middle, though they aren't as fast as many of the vanguard troops. They are often kept with the main force and are only sent out when battle is imminent to cover for the main force, outside a few exceptions. The reserves are behind the line and are only committed when they are needed, often to prove extra support to exploit a breakthrough or to stem an enemy attack. Overall, a very effective though it is necessary to coordinate well to use to maximum effect._


	11. Arc 1: Urban Conflict

**Hey there. Sorry I didn't run the AN last time...glad Ninten and Mewtwo took care of that despite their...differences. Anyway, yes, I hope to get a Mewtwo SSB oneshot out sometime, might not be soon, but I'm determined to make it happen once I get motivated enough. It's a shame that Winter Break's almost over for me and most schoolbkids. It always seems to go by so freaking fast. Oh well, and on another note, there's an Advance Wars reference hidden in here somewhere, and if you find it...you'll get a cookie. Hint: The reference is simply a quote.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Review Responses**

 **Ender2142:** Thanks. I tried my best to make this as much of a realistic depiction of war as I could (which includes prejudice), though nothing can compare to first hand experience. Yep, the plot thickens, and it'll thicken again at the end of this chapter. Hopefully the fourth wall would need not be broken again for a while...but it probably will. *Shrugs*

 **Connor the speling pro:** I would respond to your review more fully, but for some reason, it's not showing and I deleted the email that notified me of the review, so I can't outside of what I recall. Thanks for the tip. I'll try to avoid that in the future, though it will definitely be a little more...military than other fics, at least battles in where the armies clash and take some time to get used to the in-between. Yeah, I did take inspiration from discrimination against minority groups since PSI (and psychic powers in general) is a power only accessible by a minority, making the users one of the minorities, and definitely a target for prejudice. And I can confirm that Holland will appear in the future, though won't have a major role. She'll be more of a minor recurring character.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: The author does not own Earthbound/the references/the characters outside OCs/locations outside original locations. I only own the plot and the things I use to write and plan this out.**

* * *

Ninten broke out into a small grin, happy to see his friend again. But it faded as he remembered where he was and simply settled for, "Poo, good to see you again, but let's talk later."

"Agreed," Poo replied, understanding that duty came before pleasure in this war.

"Anyway, let's get on with the briefing then," Livingston said as he turned to Colonel Lee.

Lee cleared his throat as he stepped forward. "I thank you all for coming on such short notice today," he began. "Now, the situation in Ellay was at a critical point when the reinforcements arrived, but we still have a lot of fighting ahead of us. As you can see, our forces, signified by the blue, have only secured one quarter of the city," he said, gesturing to the blue counters. "The Pigmasks have over sixty percent of the city with the rest under dispute," Lee continued, this time pointing at the red counters. "However, our spies have reported that the Pigmask strength has recently weakened significantly, which begs the question of why they haven't pulled back to preserve their strength instead of continuing to suffer heavy losses here.

"Well, they have a very good reason that could affect the situation of the war itself. It alone won't change the course of the war, but it poses a great threat to our lives." Lee pointed to a stack of black counters in the center of the map. "This is one of the few orbital guns that remain in all of Eagleland," Lee explained. "It can fire blasts of high-powered lasers into space, but cannot adjust to fire at ground targets. I would imagine that you all are wondering 'why is this so significant that we are under threat?' due to that reason.

"We have reports that claim that numerous workers that are sympathetic volunteers or forced labor are working on not only getting it back into operational condition, but modifying it so that it can fire at any target in Eagleland. I'm sure everyone realizes the scale of what destruction it can bring if the modifications are completed." Various nods around the room (including Ninten) confirmed his assertion.

"Why did Colonel Lee say it won't change the course of the war when it has that kind of range?" Ana asked curiously, having shifted next to Ninten during the meeting.

"It cannot fire many shots at one time. It requires an extended period of recharge...but its range will enable the Pigmasks to shell densely populated areas, supply dumps, and attack leaders anywhere. Granted, it probably won't enough to be more than pinpricks in the overall situation due to the questionable accuracy and low rate of fire, but it would cause problems that should be avoided," the veteran analyzed, trying to pay attention to the briefing at the same time.

"Our battle plan is this: We're dispatching a small unit of Special Forces troops along with one or two PSI users to sneak behind enemy lines and sabotage the weapon," Lee instructed. "It would be better if it was blown sky high or completely annihilated, but if you can only render it inoperable, then do so. It will buy us time to retake it and destroy it ourselves. I don't want that thing to be a concern of ours ever again."

Despite the necessity for paying attention, Ninten couldn't stop his mind from wandering. It was alarming news that the Pigmasks were actually trying to get a weapon operational that couldn't be maintained, much less modified after the wars? _'Where are they getting their resources and science from? Certainly not from here,'_ he wondered to himself. How are they able to maintain such an advanced plethora of weapons even after the massive devastation?

"Permission to speak?" someone asked, standing up. Ninten frowned at the obviously civilian attire (read; fancy sunglasses with a red shirt that showed off the ban's bulging muscles), and he wondered to himself if this guy was a gangster.

"Permission granted," Lee replied.

"With all due respect, why not hit that thing with everything we've got? Some cannon fire ought to blow it away."

"But we'd have to get in close," Lee replied. "They'd realize what we're up to not long after we attack, and their heavy defenses will buy them enough time to rally, and attacking the weak spots in the area will simply take too long for us to swing around and attack the weapon. No; speed and stealth will be essential for this mission."

"I volunteer," one of the lieutenants said as he stood up (attire more in line with standard Eagleland military code to Ninten's approval). "My platoon is experienced in battles; it will be able to follow through with the mission."

"Very well then," Lee nodded. "Your unit will be used in the mission. But we need PSI users to accompany you..."

"I volunteer," Poo said. "I have enough power to blow it up, if I can get inside."

"In that case, I volunteer as well," Ninten added. "My abilities are best suited to speed and stealth. I promise I won't let anyone down."

"I'll come too!" Lucas exclaimed.

"No," Ninten countered, shaking his head. "Me and Poo will be more than enough for this mission. We can't risk too many PSI users in one mission."

"But-"

"We'll discuss this later," Ninten said, knowing that any further discussion would simply serve to delay the attack.

"Lieutenant Walker, go and assemble your platoon and prepare them for action," Lee ordered. The lieutenant saluted as he walked out of the tent. "You two, get ready," he told Ninten and Poo. "Everyone else, pay attention. We need to determine where all the other units will..." Ninten couldn't hear the rest because he and Poo had walked out of the command tent at that point.

* * *

Lucas weaved his way through the camp, searching for his friend in the midst of all of these armored soldiers. Eventually, he found him watching a formation of soldiers march past.

For several seconds, they stood in silence, with naught but a quick glance passing between them. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" Lucas asked.

"In war, hardly anything is certain, but you shouldn't worry," Ninten said.

"If it isn't certain, why should I _not_ be concerned?"

"I didn't say to not be concerned, but not to _worry._ You'll lose focus if you let your mind drift like that," Ninten told him. "But I've done similar operations before along with Poo. This is hardly anything new to me."

"Blowing up orbital guns?"

"Going behind enemy lines. Believe me, given our past history, me and Poo are the best people for the job," Ninten explained.

"So how do you know him anyway?" Lucas asked.

"Me and Poo enlisted in the Royal Guard's training program the same year, along with two others whom we formed our group," Ninten explained. "Do you remember when I mentioned I lost a friend at Summers? Well, one of them was killed then...and the other drifted away. Poo was later assigned to the Royal Guard detachment assigned to keep order here, officially killing off the group, though me and Poo still see each other a few times a year."

"What about Paula?" Lucas inquired.

"It wasn't until...two, three years ago was it? Yes, it was three years ago when I became her bodyguard. At first, we didn't speak much more than necessary, but we eventually found common ground over a certain book and that eventually transformed into our friendship...as well as our jabs at each other."

"I'm surprised you were kept around that long if you're so snarky," Lucas chuckled.

"I was so good at my job that I couldn't be replaced," Ninten joked. "No, in all seriousness, it was Paula's happiness that her parents gave me more chances, and eventually they started to warm up to me."

Ninten then glanced down at Lucas's hip. "I see you've taken on a new weapon," he observed, gesturing to the sheath on Lucas's hip.

"This?" Lucas questioned, drawing the dagger. "I got this from the armory since they had spares. I still have my bat though, and Paula found a rapier better suited for her size."

"That's good, though you'll need training in how to use it."

Footsteps echoed from behind Lucas, and the teen turned to see Poo and the raiding platoon walk up to them. "Ready to move?" Poo asked.

Ninten nodded. "You sure you'll be okay?" Lucas asked one final time despite already knowing the answer.

"I will," he reassured him. "Take care of yourself Lucas," were his parting words, Lucas watching as he disappeared with the troops for their mission.

* * *

Lucas sighed as he marched surrounded by masses of soldiers on every side. One of the issues with being close to the center of the force arrayed against the Pigmasks.

His PSI sensed Paula and Ana both further up the line, and he felt that they could handle what they needed to over there. On the other hand, the man whom he saw Ninten show some disdain to right was right next to him, and was ginning when Lucas glanced at him.

"What?" Lucas asked, trying not to lash out at the sight of the grin.

"How're you feeling?" the man asked, evidently not deterred by the tone Lucas used.

"The usual before a battle," the boy replied. "Wondering if I'll make it out, if I'll see home again, what I have to do...that sort of thing.

"You've been in battles before?" Lucas nodded, causing the man's grin to widen.

"Good. Then you know what to do," he said. "Gonna be a pleasure fighting by your side." Lucas grimly nodded, unsure of whether or not he liked this guy's attitude towards the fight. And with his attire just screaming 'show-off' at him, it was no wonder Ninten didn't get a very good first impression of him. Lucas wasn't sure if he could take a battle next to him.

"I'm Teddy. What's your name?" the man asked, evidently having rambled a little while Lucas was in his thoughts.

"Oh, I'm Lucas," the blonde replied, snapping back into the real world.

"Nice ta met ya Lucas!" Teddy ruffled his hair. Lucas growled as he ran his hand through it after Teddy stopped. He hated it when people did that. "These Pigmasks...they're asking for a lot of trouble." Lucas turned back to Teddy, his grin gone and replaced by a hard glare. "They've wrecked my home," he growled, clenching his fists as he gazed off into the distance. "Well, I'll show them what it means to cross me. They're asking for a beat down," he finished as he cracked his knuckles.

Lucas sighed as he turned his head back forward. Now this man was on the path of revenge...He probably shouldn't be anywhere near him when battle broke out.

* * *

Getting through the main part of the enemy line was easy; they just had to use the alleyways as cover and take down any Pigmask that spotted them. Now the tricky part was remaining undetected.

The entire platoon was huddled in one such alleyway, hidden in the shadows. Thankfully, they hadn't cleaned their armor beforehand so they weren't gleaming. It meant a better chance of not being spotted.

Ninten inched to the corner and poked his head out. He frowned at the sight, not happy with what he saw.

"What is it?" Poo asked.

"At least twenty Pigmasks blocking the road," Ninten growled. "There's no way we can get past them without being detected, and even if we surprise them, at least one's gonna get away, even if you nuke them with _that_."

"What about your 4th-D Slip?" Poo asked.

"I can't take the entire platoon with me," Ninten answered. "The best I can manage is seven or eight at most."

"Then take me and five others with you to surprise them while the others charge in once we attack," Poo proposed.

"Not a bad idea," Ninten nodded, instantly agreeing to the strategy. "Alright, who wants to go?"

Five soldiers immediately stepped forward and saluted. "I'll direct them to charge when it's time," Lieutenant Walker said.

Ninten nodded his approval before turning back to the volunteers. "Ready?" he asked them. They nodded.

Ninten's eyes faintly glowed as he charged up the energy required for his most useful technique. On his own was easy; transporting multiple people was far more straining given how much energy he had felt he used. However, with a grunt, Ninten knew it had worked due to a small flash of light.

As soon as they moved out of the alleyway in the pocket dimension, Poo tapped Ninten's shoulder and pointed forward. "Looks like they didn't even wait for us," Ninten smirked as he saw all the Pigmasks run towards them to investigate the flash, not that they could see them. This made things a lot easier.

"Poo; take three on one side and I'll take two over here," Ninten ordered as he planted himself a little to the left of the Pigmasks' path.

Poo nodded as he and three others took position a little to the right.

Right as they passed through, the trap was sprung as Ninten deactivated his 4th-D Slip.

He simultaneously drew his Giant Knife and slashed at a passing Pigmask, causing him to cry out as he fell. He pivoted around to cut down another that didn't quite register what was happening and knocked out a third easily. He spun in a circle with his weapon, at least three more Pigmasks around him falling.

The veteran glanced around to see the rest of the Pigmask force fall to the platoon and Poo. Ninten walked up to his fellow PSI user and said, "We don't have much time. When they realize that one of their forces has gone mysteriously missing, they'll sound the alarm."

"Agreed," Poo nodded. "Lieutenant?"

Lieutenant Walker nodded. "All troops; continue moving to the objective!" he ordered as the platoon reassembled.

* * *

Lucas put up his shield over as many soldiers as he could as the musketmen, archers, and crossbowmen moved forward to return fire. The blonde saw a soldier hit the ground, setting some sort of package down. Another soldier jumped in trying to unravel it, and set up some sort of stand with three legs. The first soldier jammed some sort of thing with three barrels on the stand, and the second soldier put a canister in the side.

"What is that?" Lucas asked as he deployed a shield over the duo.

"Captured this from the Pigmasks," the second soldier explained. "We tinkered with it and figured out how to operate it." He turned back to the first and barked, "Fire now!"

With that, the weapon roared out laser blasts, managing to take down several Pigmasks in a single volley, not to mention the bullets and arrows that made contact as well. It also didn't help that the Pigmask forces on this street were dreadfully outnumbered.

Battle horns echoed, and Lucas glanced over to see Teddy lead the charge, several swordsmen and pikemen trying to keep up with him. Soon, the ranged attackers ceased their fire in fear of hitting their own, and they too joined the charge. Lucas let out his own battle cry as he rushed into the fray himself.

As he bashed his way through hordes of Pigmasks, he risk a quick glance at Teddy, to see that the man was practically whirling around like a tornado, cutting down Pigmasks with his twin knives in every which way, or just punching their lights out. Normally, the reckless show-off probably would've been killed...but with those shields over him, many of the Pigmasks' attacks merely bounced off of it, and if he suffered any injuries he didn't show any signs of them.

Nevertheless, the shields did not render people completely invincible, given the corpses that lay behind them.

"Take cover!" Lucas heard after blowing a group of Pigmasks away with his PK Love. He didn't even have time to react before not only he registered a whistling sound but also a very fast moving projectile heading right over him. As soon as it hit the ground, it exploded right in the middle of a small infantry formation of Eagleland troops. The soldiers were thrown away from the explosion; the more fortunate of this group got back up on their feet despite minor bleeding while the less fortunate were either groaning on the ground or not even moving.

Lucas felt a little guilty, knowing that his shields had failed to protect them from...whatever that thing was.

"Either take cover or move in close!" Lucas heard one of the lieutenants call. He ducked into one of the buildings as his ears picked up the same whistling sound. He just dove into a building when the explosion happened. The blonde got up just in time to see a building fall, hit by the attack.

He felt a hand on his back yank him further into the building. "Let go of me," he growled, smacking the hand away and letting him see the familiar face of a certain soldier.

"Fancy meeting you here again," James said.

"Not in the mood," Lucas growled through clenched teeth as he tried to look through the window to observe the battle.

"Well, if you would set aside your grudge against me for one moment, I would think it would make sense for us to team up for now," James argued. "These Pigmasks are using things that we don't have the tech to combat, as well as hordes of foot soldiers. Believe me, I will watch your back, I promise."

"Fine, just don't get in my way," Lucas conceded, having taken in the situation by now.

Whatever that attack was, it had scattered a number of the Eagleland forces, most of them either under cover or right up there in the thick of things against the main Pigmask line. However, hulking white objects were approaching the battle from the Pigmask side of the line, and it certainly didn't look friendly.

The lead vehicle took aim with its cannon, firing a blast that hit Eagleland and Pigmask soldiers alike. Soldiers of both factions scrambled out of the way of the mounds of metal, but Lucas saw a green beam flash by, blasting the turret completely off of one of the tanks followed by a blast of thunder on the same tank, no doubt incapacitating or killing everyone that was left in there. Lucas blew another tank onto its side with a well-placed PK Love barrage.

"They're after you!" James cried. Lucas saw that he was telling the truth, as a few pointed their turrets right at him.

Lucas roared as he aggressively charged up another PK Love, determined to fight to the death if he had to.

* * *

Poking his head around the wall, Ninten smirked as he spotted the building he was looking for.

"It's right over there," he said. "There are guards on the outside, but if we do this properly, they shouldn't be an issue."

"You have the honors then," Walker said, overhearing Ninten's analysis.

Ninten nodded as he activated his 4th-D Slip, vanishing from sight.

Several seconds later, he was back, materializing behind the two guards assigned to the entrance. He stabbed one with his Giant Knife, and then threw the other Pigmask into the wall where he slugged the Pigmask in the face, instantly knocking him out.

With a few hand gestures, Poo and the platoon emerged from their cover and headed towards him. Ninten turned back to the door, looking over it. He realized that there was a lock on it, which he easily undid with his telekinesis before Poo caught up to him.

Ninten peeked inside the building, ducking back to avoid detection by the guards inside.

"How many?" Poo asked, evidently realizing the situation.

"Five guards," Ninten replied. "This should be easy."

Ninten threw open the door as Poo leaped in, electricity shooting out from his hands. Three of the bolts connected with one guard each, causing them to cry out in pain as they were electrocuted. The raiders quickly dispatched of the two others before Ninten even had a chance to swing his weapon at anybody.

 _'Good; no causalities,'_ Ninten noted satisfyingly to himself as he headed to the next door as the Eagleland soldiers were making sure the guards were dead. After all, dead men tell no tales.

He didn't like having to do that, but having Pigmasks shooting at their rear could pose a significant threat depending on the timing.

The doors opened with three Pigmasks rushing in to investigate the commotion, only to stop dead at the realization that they were outnumbered. However, Ninten had leapt in between them and their exit, effectively cutting off their only mode of escape. He swung his knife, forcing the Pigmasks back as they hastily leveled their guns on him, not that it would do much good since he just used Shield Alpha over himself.

One of the Pigmasks suddenly had a katana producing from his chest, and the other two were also taken down by two soldiers as well. Ninten nodded at the ones who helped him out and peeked into the next room.

"It's the core," Ninten observed. "This is where all the power goes to execute a single shot. If we can blow this up, this'll take down the entire building, but there are workers in there, and I don't know whether or not they're allied with the Pigmasks or not."

"Who cares? We've got to set them free!" one of the soldiers exclaimed, sprinting past Ninten, much to the veteran's horror.

"No! Don't!" another soldier cried, rushing after him.

Four of the workers inside whipped around, guns glistening in the light and pointed directly at the two Eagleland soldiers who rushed ahead. With several volleys, both lay dead on the floor.

Two musketmen that were in the platoon moved forward along with Poo, the PSI user killing two of the Pigmask sympathizers outright with precise blasts of thunder as the two musketmen proved to the better shots, gunning the other two down before they could hit them.

"Does anyone else want to oppose us?" Lieutenant Walker dared. No one moved. "Then get your asses out of here!" he ordered. "You five, make sure they get out and don't try anything, got it?" They nodded as they peeled off to follow their orders.

Ninten turned to Poo just a moment afterward. "Do your thing," he ordered.

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that." The raiders immediately whipped around to face deeper into the room where from a now-open door three more Pigmasks emerged; a single one in white flanked by two green ones.

"Do you honestly think that just because of your ranks you stand a chance against us?" one of the raiders sneered.

They didn't bother answering as they immediately trained their guns onto Poo, no doubt identifying him as the main 'punch' of the attack.

However, two shots rang out, one of which connected with one of the majors. The other Pigmasks were distracted briefly, looking over at their fallen comrade.

That's when Poo cried, "PK Starstorm!" regaining all the attention of everyone in the room. Ninten quickly deployed a shield over him, to protect against the laser blasts from the surviving Pigmasks as he moved in, taking them both out before their shots had any noticeable effect on his friend. Several blue glowing orbs formed all around him as he focused, pouring as much PSI energy as he could into the attack.

"Fall back!" the lieutenant shouted as he ushered the rest of the platoon out of the room as Poo was nearly ready to attack.

Poo released the orbs of energy all over the room; one fell on the main reactor, one or two more destroyed the controls...Ninten didn't catch the rest because he seized Poo's arm and was dragging him out of the area as the orbital gun was being blown to pieces all around them.

* * *

Lucas put his hands on his knees as he panted, out of PSI energy after what seemed to be hours of battle. He glanced behind him, reflecting on how much ground they gained...but at what cost? There was far more blood spilled today than was during the Battle of Tazmily...if that could even count as one and not a mere skirmish. From Eagleland and Pigmask corpses to the wreckages of tanks and cannons, it was obvious that both sides paid a terrible price for this ground.

He looked ahead, seeing the battle still raging. He noticed that compared to early in the battle, the line was quite thin with the reserves committed to keep the line intact, and even then only barely. He couldn't tell how the Pigmasks were faring, but given the ground they had been forced to yield, he supposed that they were in even worse shape.

Lucas jumped at the sound of a massive explosion, and looked around wildly. He saw a massive plume of black smoke rising into the air towards the heart of the city.

Ninten and his crew had did it. The mission was accomplished.

He heard a battle horn, interrupting his feeling of relief and satisfaction that the mission was a success. Instantly, the Eagleland line began to fall back, in a fighting retreat. It appeared that the Pigmasks were just as eager to continue the battle since from what Lucas could see, most of the Eagleland troops were not involved in any fight. Granted, a few fell from laser blasts, but the sources of those final shots were soon silenced.

As soon as the Eagleland line reformed just outside of the Pigmasks' range, Teddy whooped. "Well, mission accomplished!" he laughed.

"Contact Colonel Lee; tell him the mission is completed, but we need reinforcements to secure our gains," Lucas overheard one of the nearby captains tell another soldier.

But...where was James?

It wasn't that long after they began to work together that they were separated in the chaos due to the Pigmask counterattack. Not that Lucas didn't grow fond of him or anything, but he was still concerned. Lucas glanced around the crowd of soldiers, unable to find who it was he was looking for. Then, his eyes drifted to ground level and they widened. He dashed over to the soldier on the ground, medic hunched over him. The medic turned to face Lucas as he approached and said, "If you have any healing PSI, it'll help."

"I'm sorry...I'm all out," Lucas admitted.

The medic solemnly nodded as she tried to bandage James's arm, the injured soldier struggling to breathe.

"James?"

"...Heh," the soldier let out a small laugh. "So...it took for me to be...dying for you to pay attention to me?"

Lucas glanced at the medic. "Is he really gonna die?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I have to treat him as well as I can here before bringing him back to get more thorough care."

"Thank you," Lucas said as he turned his gaze back to the soldier.

"Hard...past?" James grunted out.

"You have no idea," Lucas muttered to himself, glancing off to the side.

"I...I guess I can understand why you...treated me like you did then," James said. "I've seen it happen before...a friend of mine went through personal loss. It...made him near unapproachable for months. We...never actually did make up."

"I did the same thing," Lucas admitted. "I pushed people away because I didn't feel like they understood what I was going through; they always treated me like a little kid even as I grew up into my teen years. I couldn't take it and I simply closed myself off when I should've tried to prove that I was mature. I guess I should've been nicer to them," the boy sighed wistfully, full of regret.

"At least you...recognize that," James got out before a coughing fit.

"Easy soldier," the medic said. "I've done all I can right now. Can you get up?"

The soldier grunted as he sat up, and then groaned as he clutched his head. Another soldier stepped next to him, and helped hoist him on his feet. "Come on," he said, as he and the medic helped James back into the rear, Lucas watching as they left.

Even though the soldier hadn't made the best first impression, he had to admit that when he thought back, James seemed sincere when he claimed he didn't want to treat him or any PSI user as a mere tool. _'I wish I could've helped him,'_ he thought to himself.

Still, he was not a stranger to death. If he died, then he would have to pay his respects...he would not push others away again. He couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice. He felt a kernel of rage within him as he wondered how many lives this extremist group had ruined by causing this unnecessary fighting for...whatever bullshit excuse they provided to gain their following.

His fist clenched as he glared into the distance, vowing that when he was through with the Pigmasks, they'd be nothing more than pages in a history book.

* * *

Ninten entered the command tent alongside Poo, whom he just finished filling in on what happened to him. He glanced around and quickly found his three companions in one of the corners.

"Hey," he said as he and Poo walked up to them.

"Hey," Paula greeted. "So I take it mission success?"

"I think the resulting explosion was enough to tell," Ninten grinned. "How are you three holding up?"

"I'm okay," Ana murmured quietly. Ninten knew that she wasn't, but he didn't press. She merely needed to adjust to this.

"Could be better, and a soldier Lucas knew was badly injured," Paula added. "He's not holding up well."

"I wouldn't say any one of us look that good," Ninten said, taking in the dirt and blood that covered them and noted that he himself probably didn't look much better.

At this point, they noticed that conversation was beginning to die down and they turned toward the podium, seeing the two colonels on it.

Colonel Lee stepped forward as he cleared his throat. "I thank you all for giving it your all to destroy the orbital gun, and I am pleased to say the mission was a complete success," Lee began. "In addition, one of the forces gained some ground, though the other force encountered determined resistance and could not make any gains. Nevertheless, causalities were lower than expected, but they were still heavy." He glanced off to the side, Ninten noting some grief on his features before turning back. "But we cannot mourn for them for very long. We shall not forget their sacrifices, but we must not be consumed by them."

Lee stepped back with the crowd applauding his address as Livingston moved forward to the microphone to speak. "Despite our recent victories, this war is far from over. The Pigmasks are reluctant to give up ground on all fronts, but especially here due to one of their critical bases being located not far from here. However, with a string of defeats, the Pigmasks are discovering that the tide is turning against them, and if this continues, we shall soon possess their base and discover their secrets...if they hadn't destroyed everything by then. We also have news from the rear. Shortly after we left Fiveopilis, General Xavier sent a messenger to inform us that he himself will be arriving in a few days time." Excited murmurs arose from the crowd, but were quickly silenced. "With his help, we will coordinate with other areas to begin an offensive, but until then, keep your troops together and focus on holding what we have gained, and our messengers will ask the High Command for permission to destroy all remaining orbital guns so we do not experience this threat ever again. And I expect that everyone Lieutenant or higher on the chain of command that participated in the battle will write a post-action report. Dismissed."

"What's a post-action report?" Lucas asked.

"It's a written paper on the overall battle and what you could've done differently and anything you noticed of your troops or the enemy's. I'm gonna have to start on that soon...Seriously, be glad you don't have to do it. It's a pain to construct one sometimes."

* * *

"Commander!" Kumatora sighed in annoyance as she turned to face the Pigmask that had barged into the room in what seemed to be a panic. This seemed to happen more frequently as of late.

"Yeah, spit it out," she growled, trying to ignore her migraine.

"The orbital gun has been destroyed, and we've taken heavy causalities!" the Pigmask cried. "W-What are we gonna do!?"

Kumatora closed her eyes as she thought over this new information, tuning out his incessant chatter. She met this with...mixed emotion. On one hand, this meant that all the Pigmask efforts and lives lost were all for naught. Ellay was now only beneficial for Eagleland, for if they establish a major base there, that could mean an offensive that could strike at the exposed flanks of the current fronts, leading to more ground being lost.

On the other hand, they probably weren't gonna win the battle anyway with the reinforcements getting through. And now they could cut losses and fall back to a more dependable position, hoping that the Eagleland commanders wouldn't recognize the opportunity they had.

On another hand...

Kumatora shook her head as she refocused on the Pigmask in front of her. "Order all troops in the Ellay area to pull back and regroup behind the mountain. We need the time to organize sufficient resistance if we have any hope of holding out."

"But our base will be left vulnerable!" the Pigmask protested. "If the Eagleland Army decides to attack right now, they'll capture all of our research facilities here, not to mention all of our classified documents!"

"I believe that is _my_ concern," Kumatora stated, glaring at the Pigmask. "Now, if you have nothing else to tell me, _get out of my sight."_

The Pigmask squeaked as he ducked out of the room, his commander much relieved at no longer having to put up with his attitude. She sighed as she opened up one of the drawers and rifled through it, yanking out a particular paper that she was looking for. _'If their army attacks, then we don't have much time,'_ she concluded. She would have to set her plan in motion immediately, and she was more than happy to begin that.

Just then, a beeping noise drew her attention to the monitor on the wall. It activated, portraying the sneering face of the one person she absolutely didn't want to see.

 _"Well, well, commander,"_ Fassad grinned. _"You certainly messed up all of our plans, big time."_

"When I requested reinforcements to counter the Eagleland's own reinforcements, you assured me that _he_ would've taken care of them," Kumatora retorted. "Instead, your soldiers are still twiddling their thumbs in random locations across Eagleland." She glared at the monitor. "Before, I was questioning your sanity...but now I know why you're doing that."

 _"How do you know of them?"_ Fassad demanded, his smugness disappearing instantly.

Kumatora smirked, knowing the tables have turned. "I am more resourceful than you think," she replied, carefully measuring each word as to not give anything away. "But I do not plan on telling my subordinates this, so you have no cause for alarm. However, I will warn you in pursuing the power that you hope to wield." Her smirk disappeared as she glared back. "You know the stories as well as I do. You know what happened to that warlord when he tried to wield that power. Do you honestly think that you can control a power with that bloody of a history behind it?"

 _"I do not seek that power for myself, but for our king."_

"Right. You _always_ say that what you do, it's for the benefit of Porky," Kumatora rolled her eyes.

 _"You should be grateful,"_ Fassad said calmly, shaking his head. _"We took you in when you had nowhere to go, after you were cast aside like a tool...that's all the Confederation and their mindless followers see our kind as. But we Pigmasks are different, we treat people as...equals. We shall make that a reality, over rivers of blood if we must."_

"You do that," Kumatora shrugged. "To you, I'm just a warrior, trained to kill Eagleland soldiers; what do I know of politics? But I do know one thing about it from...observation. It _corrupts_ people, just thought you should know."

 _"You will learn how powerful the Pigmask High Command is,"_ Fassad declared. _"But for now, your next mission will keep you...preoccupied for a while, and it comes directly from King P. Crush the Confederation's army in Ellay."_

"Easier said than done _boss._ You didn't leave me anything to work with," Kumatora scoffed. "In between the failure of _your_ trap as well as the loss of the orbital gun, also counting the causalities and how thin our supplies are stretched, I wouldn't be surprised if you were just trying to bump me off."

 _"Don't get sassy with me,"_ the Pigmask second-in-command growled. _"It would be a bad thing if one of our top commanders was killed because of their mouth."_ Kumatora resisted the urge to snap at him. _"But I have given you an order; you will fulfill it at once."_

"Yes commander."

The monitor shut off, leaving Kumatora to ponder over the conversation as she stared at the blank screen.

She closed her eyes, taking close examination of a feeling that had been growing inside of her ever since she overheard that conversation weeks ago. Her mouth pressed into a thin line as she frowned, glaring at her desk.

But at least that order (in some ways) made her plan all the easier to pull off. She just needed to figure out how to go about it.

* * *

 **Well, for some reason I really enjoy writing Kumatora's scenes. I kinda wish she had more screentime, but that would be unnecessary. Anyway, just two more chapters until Arc 1 closes out. If you haven't looked on my profile, there are going to be three arcs plus an epilogue, so this still has quite a ways to go. Plus, games have been taking some time away from when I work on Fanfiction, and school break is just about over...I will have to get the next chapter out in two weeks. Anyway, feel free to review, and have a great day!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _Orbital Gun: A highly advanced technological development conceived before the PSI Wars to counter any ICBMs launched into space, but was modified to target enemy capital ships in space with high-powered laser blasts. It draws on nuclear fusion to power its blasts, even when the alien fuel, zexonyte became available. While they cannot fire more than a dozen blasts at a time before it requires recharging, but orbital guns accounted for numerous alien ships during the Wars._

 _Eagleland Ranks: Every rank has their special insignia to label them as a certain rank. However, officers are more...flashy about it. Lieutenants typically have yellow lines on their armor, captains white, majors blue, and colonels black. Medics and generals are unique; medics are red despite not being officers while generals are so infrequently out on the front lines in the thick of battle that their only distinguishing feature is the number of stars on their helmet._


	12. Arc 1: Mt Itoi

**Sorry about the delay. I was hit with writer's block for several of the scenes, making it insanely difficult to get this out, not to mention finals last week or the fact that I began preliminary work (and beginning several chapters) on a new project of mine. But I'm glad I managed to get this chapter out, since I don't have to worry about this chapter anymore, and hopefully writer's block won't be so severe with the next chapter. Still, it's kinda crappy (at least I personally think so) since I just wanted to get this out of the way at this point, so forgive the lower quality compared to the others.**

 **By the way, the Advance Wars reference last chapter was the line: "Easier said than done boss _._ You didn't leave me anything to work with," which is word-for-word exactly what Grit says to Olaf in either the last mission or second-to-last mission in Blue Moon depending on whether you use Andy or Max in Mission 4. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **Unimportant:** The Encyclopedia was the best name I could come up with. Lame, I know, but that was it. And by 'more military', I think I meant that it was more referring to tactics, chain of command, etc. When you're in the heat of battle, you don't tend to pay much attention to anything outside of what you need to do.

 **Ender2142:** I replied to your review over PM, but thanks again.

 **PSI master Lucas:** I replied to your review over PM, but thanks again.

 **Phoesong:** You're forgiven for the tardiness...not that I have been late getting reviews out before. *Looks at Academic Acceleration, which I have _still_ not reviewed* Thanks for the compliments, and no, you're not acting like a grumpy grinch...at least not more than I do on a regular basis, and to be honest, I do appreciate it. Seriously, I'm pretty dang critical when I want to be. In regards to the emotion, you just highlighted the one point which I am sure that I don't do well in either real life or writing...unless its humor of course.

In regards to Chapter 7, in Ninten's defense, he did not rush over and practically curl up _right next to the fireplace_ like Lucas did. I'm trying to make it clear that Kumatora has conflicting loyalties to the Pigmasks... And what happens to James will be revealed in this chapter. But, well, I'm trying to portray it as worse, but it won't be as easy since the group won't be with the army the entire time (considering that in the games the protags have the hitting power of an entire army...in three or four adolescents, I'd say it's justified).

I really appreciate your comment on the hard work, so special thanks there. But sadly, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to work as hard in the future unless I get inspiration (though with my inspiration currently directed elsewhere, that's gonna be a bit of a chore). Maybe I should go and play Hyrule Warriors again since that heavily inspired the plot. See ya later!

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Earthbound…or pretty much anything in this fic other than the plot and OCs…and original locations as well.**

* * *

Ninten sighed as he finally set the paper down, and then stretched to get some feeling back into his legs. He always hated writing, and he hated writing reports of just about any kind. It was the reason why he didn't envy those higher up on the chain of command; all of that boring paperwork would be the death of him.

"Finally finished?" Paula asked from the corner of the tent the group spent yesterday night in.

"Paula, if I wasn't finished, would you honestly see me getting up right now?" Ninten asked with a small smirk.

"If you were slacking off," Paula retorted.

"Oh really? And when did you have the honor of seeing me act like a lazy bum before?" Ninten said, but was quickly filled with dread. _'Oh, **why** did I have to tempt fate? **WHY?'**_

Paula smirked (which made Ninten regret his words even more) as she said, "Well, there was that time when you accidentally forgot to file in a report to Captain Levins just a year and a half ago-"

"That doesn't count!" Ninten protested, distinctively remembering Levins chewing him out for that. "It was just a listing of my PSI abilities, not an actual report!"

"Still doesn't change the fact."

"Shut up," Ninten glared, which only prompted Paula to laugh.

"So what are you two lovebirds up too?" Teddy asked as he entered (read; barged) into the tent.

Ninten scowled at Teddy's assumption. "She's teasing me like a friend would...and we're only friends," Ninten said.

"Yeah, and that _teasing_ wasn't actually bickering like an old married couple," Teddy retorted, sporting a massive grin on his face. Frankly, it made the battle-hardened veteran want to puke.

"We have no 'interest' in each other in that way," Paula clarified.

"Okay then," Teddy said, though his grin didn't disappear.

"So is there a reason you came here in the first place, or is this the day where you try to pair people up romantically?" Ninten inquired, trying to maintain his patience.

"The two colonels want to speak with you and your friends," Teddy answered. "Something about a plan that they need you and your team for."

"At the command tent?" Ninten asked, though he already thought it was the correct location.

"Yep," Teddy nodded.

"Well then, let's go round up everyone," Ninten said, brow furrowing as he activated his PSI senses to track down Lucas and Ana.

* * *

Lucas stood in front of the medic as he scanned a list, looking for a particular name. Eventually he looked up, though with a solemn expression on his face.

"What happened to him?" Lucas asked.

The medic sighed, and if Lucas wasn't dreading the outcome already, he was now. "I'm afraid James died," he said. "It was just too far to the medical outpost, and no PSI user was available in time to heal him. I'm...I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Lucas replied, giving a forced smile, and hiding how the news affected him. "Thank you for telling me," he added before he turned around and left the tent.

Lucas simply stalked past all the soldiers (not that they paid any mind to him; they were just busy doing their own thing) as he headed to the edge of the camp. His emotions were just a mixture of grief and rage; grief at the death of someone he knew, and rage towards the ones who did it...and himself.

If only he had managed to conserve more of his energy through the battle. Then James would still be alive. And Lucas didn't give him a chance to bond when he offered it.

His fist clenched as he entered a small wooded area close to the encampment, dangerously sparkling with PSI. First his mother, then his brother, then the villagers...and now this. How many more would fall to the Pigmasks, and his own stupidity, before this war ended?

Lucas finally reached a clearing where no one was and proceeded to punch a tree. He kicked it a few more times and punched it one last time, panting heavily after the last punch. Because he infused all of his blows with PSI for extra power, much of the trunk had caved in, leaving the remainder teetering on the edge.

 _'Oh no... What have I done?'_ Lucas dreaded, appalled at himself for violating the nature of the forest. He hung his head in shame, shaking his head. Even though it was only one tree, his mother had always stressed to take care of the environment in every possible way, and here he was, going against her wish.

He simply sat down on the rock and stared at the tree, wondering why he had lost control like that. Yes, he had lost control before, but that was when he was younger; he was years older now. He shouldn't be throwing fits like those!

Before he could reprimand himself further, the sound of footsteps turned his attention to the pathway he came from, seeing two familiar faces walking towards him.

"There you are Lucas," Ninten said. "We were wondering where you went off to."

"Just hanging around...you know how it is," Lucas replied, trying to conceal his emotions. Since Ninten gave no outward indication that he noticed anything, the blonde assumed he was doing a good enough job at that.

"Always the loner," Teddy mused to himself.

"So why were you looking for me?" Lucas asked.

"The colonels are calling a meeting," Ninten replied. "I think it has to do with some sort of plan, but we all have to be in attendance."

"Why?"

"They probably need us to spearhead it. We're powerful PSI users anyway," Ninten shrugged.

"I hate it when we get these 'privileges' because of PSI," Lucas grumbled. "'Equality' by ass."

"Wouldn't go that far, but yeah; playing black sheep is no fun. And that comes from experience," Ninten remarked as he began to walk back down the path. "So you coming or what?"

"Right behind you," Lucas said, standing up and keeping up with his friend.

* * *

Ana sighed as she watched the colonels squabble over the plan itself. She and Paula were the first ones to arrive, only to discover that the colonels were in disagreement and Captain Holland looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here as the argument escalated.

"We have the initiative," Lee argued as he leaned over the table. "With all of their defeats, there is no way that the Pigmasks can sustain a counter-offensive for very long, much less patch up the line without giving up ground. We need to strike now before their issues can be rectified."

"Just a small counter-offensive may be all that they need to take out a good portion of our strength," Livingston countered. "If their reinforcements arrive ahead of schedule, there is a good chance that everything that we've achieved could be undone."

"We have those new units that are acting as reserves for the army," Lee reasoned. "Trust me; the situation won't be as dire as you think.

"Regardless, what you're proposing is near lunacy in terms of what you're asking the men to do!" Livingston retorted.

"The Pigmasks won't be expecting such a bold move though," Lee said. "We could accelerate their defeat on this front since the tide has turned and maybe even take back Castle Town in the process."

"What if this is all a trap?"

"Then we shall trick them into springing it in the wrong place...oh, hello you three." Ana turned to face the entrance of the tent to see Ninten, Lucas, and Teddy walk in. "Come sit down."

"So what is this?" Ninten asked, looking at the map.

"This is our plan," Holland replied, putting a finger on the map. "Two of our reserve companies will break through the weakest part of the Pigmask line; the left flank. Afterward, the offensive will split in two as it swings south," she explained as her fingers traced their path. "One company will hammer their line from behind and the other will storm Mount Itoi."

"Their base?" Ninten questioned. "Wouldn't it be heavily defended?"

"They have a battalion holding it, but you will have the advantage of surprise," Lee said. "They wouldn't be expecting us to pull of such a bold maneuver."

"But why would they be so foolish as to leave a wide-open gap like that to their HQ?" Holland asked. "They should at least have reserves they can throw in..."

"And that's why we're staging a fake attack; draw their reserves elsewhere while the main force proceeds," Lee argued. "It also helps that the diversionary force is larger than the primary force."

"I would feel a lot safer if we had even one more battalion to cover our rear or something," Ninten said. "We need someone to cover us since both units will be on the attack in enemy territory."

"We can commit one or two of the new units, even if they're experimental," Lee offered.

"Experimental?" Lucas asked.

"They're using captured Pigmask weaponry," Livingston elaborated. "While we have some being broken down and analyzed, we have enough to form combat units centered around them since they were so kind as to let us walk into their maintenance facilities and leave the directions out for us."

Teddy laughed. "Well, let's give our thanks to those Pigsnots by ripping one in their face!" Teddy exclaimed, pumping his fist. "Let's go with the plan!"

"What about Poo?" Ninten asked, obviously ignoring Teddy's outburst.

"He'll be part of the diversionary action," Lee answered. "I needed you six here because you all are participating in the Mount Itoi assault force with Holland leading the company. I'll personally inform Captain Adams of his role as well as the other commanders, but you four should provide the firepower necessary to blast our way in."

"Makes sense," Paula said.

"I don't like this," Livingston commented, leaning back in his chair. "So much can go wrong here..."

"Believe me; I'm quite uncomfortable with this too," Ninten told the superior officer. "But if we don't take this chance, who knows what we might miss out on?"

"Good point," Livingston conceded. "Alright, you five go with Captain Holland for now. Holland, prepare your unit for battle. I want it ready to march early in two days early in the morning; we'll decide on the time later. Dismissed."

* * *

Two days later and the offensive was under way. Getting through the enemy lines was the easy part; they only had to overwhelm the token forces left since the majority were pulled away to block the diversionary attack. Paula didn't participate in that since the Eagleland troops mopped up the resistance before she could make her way into the fighting. Granted, she was glad that she didn't have to kill, but there are going to be far more challenges ahead.

The princess remained silent as dusk turned into dawn, the earliest rays of the sun beginning to come over the horizon. She allowed herself the briefest of smiles before returning to her focused state, fingering the hilt of her rapier in case any Pigmasks tried to jump them. Not for the first time, she thanked Ninten for agreeing to train her, even though her father had explicitly forbidden him to do anything that could potentially harm her, but after much pestering the two of them, they eventually gave in as long as she trained with wooden weapons, which Paula was happy with anyway.

And through her practice she gained valuable skill to use in battle. Least she could be useful in a fight as opposed to without her training. She hated that feeling of helplessness.

Paula squinted as she caught sight of the imposing peak of the mountain ahead of them, seeing the dark silhouette in the distance. Despite how far away it appeared, Paula knew that it wouldn't be long until they reached the Pigmask base and assaulted it, for better or worse. Next to her, she sensed Lucas's tension given how stiff his body appeared, but given what she knew of his history with the Pigmasks, she supposed she shouldn't be surprised.

The princess noticed that her best friend was slowing down after his conversation with Captain Holland finished. She moved aside so he could walk right next to her. She tilted her head, trying to let him know that she was curious about what it was.

"We need help with a plan," he said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's about the terrain; it's really bad for us," Ninten replied. "There's only one safe path that we know of going up, and all the rest is too perilous or we don't know anything about them. With only one path, they could easily concentrate enough forces to completely block off our advance."

"I get what you're saying," Paula nodded. "We can't afford to split up our forces too much, but without anywhere else to outmaneuver them, we're sitting ducks."

"Exactly."

"I'm sorry, but I have nothing," Paula admitted after a few moments of thought.

Ninten frowned. "Oh well, it was still worth asking," he said.

"Well, I'll see if I can come up with anything," Paula reassured her friend. "Oh, and Ninten?"

"Yes?"

Paula took a deep breath, knowing she had to talk with him about this. "You know that _she's_ going to be there, right?" the princess asked, remembering who the commander of Mt. Itoi was from the briefing earlier this morning.

"I know," Ninten replied, without even the slightest waver in his voice.

"Will you be alright? The last time you two tested, she-"

"She outperformed me in combat and power, I know," Ninten interrupted. "But that was over three years ago, and you know how much can change in that time.

"But without your PSI-"

"I have the necessary techniques to hold my own, Paula. All the rest I can do without, even if they would be nice," he admitted. "But believe me, she won't beat me the same way she would always do before. All these years apart made me able to narrow my list of weaknesses down."

"I hope you're right..." Paula trailed off, glancing off to the side to hide her apprehension for her friend.

* * *

The march continued in silence, everyone keenly aware of the looming mountain in the horizon growing ever larger with every step. Ana gulped as she tried to hold herself together, wrapping her arms around herself to try and contain her shivers. Frankly, she had forgotten the reason that she wanted to tag along with them. Not only was homesickness nipping at her, but she was sure nobody would listen to her complaints. Why would they, when Lucas had devastating PSI, Paula didn't even flinch in the face of death, and Ninten being the unofficial leader? She didn't have any of their qualities...she was a burden to them.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and Ana turned to face the confident Ninten, wearing a reassuring smile. He must have noticed she felt down, though he probably did not know the exact reason. Nevertheless, Ana felt a thankful smile creep onto her face as her worries ebbed. Not that they disappeared or anything, but Ninten's confidence was quite...infectious despite how dry he could be sometimes. And now she remembered the reason; to help them and protect her family by defeated the Pigmask threat.

With her newfound strength, she felt far less fearful as they approached the mountain path itself. "Halt!" she heard Captain Holland order, all of the soldiers around her immediately stopping. The only exception seemed to be Ninten, who was squeezing his way through the ranks, Ana following just in case.

It only took a minute for them to emerge at the head, Ninten asking "What's the situation?"

"Exactly as I feared," Holland replied, handing her telescope to the lieutenant. "They've got the path completely blocked off and heavily fortified."

"And our heavy weapons are on the rear," Ninten grumbled. "Even if we weren't spotted by the time we got up here, they would effectively be saying 'Hey! We're here! Come kill us all!'"

"I've been on this mountain before," Teddy said. "And there's one factor which you've overlooked."

"And what might that be?" Holland asked, folding her arms. Ana had to be skeptical as well since Teddy had not demonstrated any sort of ability to plan well, since his plans consisted of rushing at the enemy with everything.

"The caves."

"You're kidding me," Ninten flatly stated. Ana did not recall anything regarding these 'caves', though she did remember something being said about it during the briefing.

"My middle name has nothing to do with 'lying', so I'm afraid not," Teddy joked.

"But how do we know that these caves are safe to travel through?" Ana questioned curiously.

"The Pigsnots just as scared of the dark as you guys are, so why not?"

"Two problems. One: I'm not scared of the dark. Two: How do you even know they're scared of the dark in the first place?" Ninten questioned with an incredulous tone to his words.

"Would you rather take your chances with that?" Teddy asked, gesturing to the heavily-defended pathway.

"I would if I could tell that that wasn't suicide," Ninten replied.

"But it might be our only shot of getting through," Ana said without thinking. She nearly shrunk back as all eyes turned to her, though she resisted the urge. "I-If we can save the lives, it would be worth it," she continued, her voice a bit shaky but still getting the point across.

"I'd say the caves," Holland agreed. "But you better be right about this," she growled at Teddy. "I'm putting the lives of _all_ of us on the line because of your plan. Do _not_ betray my trust."

Teddy nodded, for once not saying anything. Ana simply assumed that he recognized the severity of the decision and what could possibly happen.

"All of our forces can't fit in there though; not without detection," Holland said. "If we're gonna do this, we're gonna have to split in two, with one force staging a diversionary attack to try to get through the blockade while the others go behind the lines and see what they can do."

"Whatever works, though we'd have to use torches," Ninten said.

"Not a problem," Holland replied. "We have a few torches in our supplies. They'll do."

"But the caves are guarded," Lucas remarked, looking at the nearest cave entrance, which was not too far from the Eagleland force. "Are you sure we can take them out quickly and silently enough before they realize that we're here?"

"If we move quickly," Teddy answered.

* * *

Ana watched as the Pigmasks were just standing there, no doubt unaware of what danger they were in. They were just milling around, either making occasional comments to each other or gazing into the distance for suspicious activity (in vain). Then, she saw Ninten appear right in their midst, blade drawn: the signal to attack.

All of a sudden, the cave entrance was alive with the sound of crashing steel as battle was joined, the cries of the wounded quickly following. Ana saw Ninten wreak chaos on them with him cutting down a number of Pigmasks single-handedly. She barely even started charging up a PSI attack when the first of the Eagleland soldiers were already upon the Pigmasks, their screams causing Ana to wince. Before long, all the Pigmasks in the area were dead, with only two Eagleland soldiers slightly wounded on the ground, with Lucas kneeling down next to them.

"Hold still; I'll get you fixed up," she heard Lucas say to the wounded, applying Lifeup to their wounds.

Ana smiled as she saw the sight. She always liked helping other people out, whether it be healing their injuries or just everyday chores. She would've appreciated them to do the same for her, so why shouldn't she?

The girl gasped as she was slammed in the back, resulting in her falling forward onto the ground, face-first. She groaned from the impact, beginning to push herself up, only to be slammed back down with a weight on her back, terror flooding her since she didn't even know what was going on...

The weight promptly disappeared in just a second, much to her relief. She was able to stand up after taking several deep breaths, and she glanced behind her to see a Pigmask bleeding out on the ground, Ninten standing right over him as he wiped his Giant Knife off before sheathing it, glaring at the corpse.

"You okay?" he asked as he turned to Ana.

"Y-Yeah...I'm just shaken, that's all," Ana replied, still not used to the sight of blood or death, but managing to hold back the vomit this time.

"You'll get used to it," Ninten said, evidently reading her thoughts (not with PSI either).

Considering everything that happened, Ana doubted that she would ever get used to it.

"We'll have to be more alert," Holland observed. "This is a prime area for guerrilla tactics...good thing that none of us died finding that out the hard way."

"We should get a move on," Teddy said, apparently ignoring Holland's advice (at least not giving any outward acknowledgement of it). "Can't let those Pigsnots wait for too long before we pound their faces in."

"I swear, you love the smell of battle," Ana heard Ninten growl as he trudged after Teddy into the cave.

* * *

She knew that they were here.

The attack was far sooner than she had anticipated, but that made her much relieved since her plan was working better than she expected it to. She was pleased, especially since it was clear to her that the Pigmask High Command had lost its head by going after the forbidden power for whatever reason they wanted.

"Commander!" Kumatora growled as she glared at the Pigmask that had just barged in, not thrilled about her thoughts being interrupted. "Enemy forces are assaulting the mountain!" the Pigmask cried. "T-They're already causing massive damage to the first barricade! W-What do we do? There's no way we can hold the base with the size of their force!"

"I know."

"What?" the Pigmask gasped. "Y-You...know we can't win?"

"If they have struck panic among our forces already, then there is little hope of victory," Kumatora replied.

"W-What should we do? Retreat?" the Pigmask suggested.

"Our...'superiors' have ordered me to hold this mountain. Failure to stand our ground to the very end would mean that we've escaped the enemy...only to land in a firing squad."

"T-They'd _kill_ us if we ran?" the Pigmask gaped in disbelief.

"Yes; now go do your job!" Kumatora snapped.

The Pigmask yelped as he clumsily saluted, then bolted out of the door. Kumatora knew that she had to take care of the classified information, and try to carry out her plan without her superiors leaning the truth. It was a shame that Fassad installed an eavesdropping device during his brief stint as commander here (she was most displeased when she found out), so that had to go. She nodded to herself as she moved a bookcase aside and pressed the previously concealed button, steeling her resolve for what was to come.

* * *

Paula's hand tightened around the hilt of her rapier, trying to avoid wincing at the continuous sound of the armor clanking. Granted, it did provide protection, but there was no way that any Pigmask in here would not hear them coming from a mile away. _'So much for surprise,'_ she figured, keeping her gaze straight ahead.

Still, it surprised her that no Pigmask had shown themselves yet. Not even one was seen through the march. Maybe Teddy did have the right idea.

Of course, right then and there a group of Pigmasks blocked the tunnel, leveling their guns at them. "Open fire!" one of them cried as they did just that. One Eagleland soldier fell from the barrage, but Paula sighed in relief when psychic shields prevented more causalities.

She proceeded to move up through the columns, feeling psychic fire burn at her fingertips as she squeezed her way to the front.

"No Lucas!" she heard Ninten cry once she emerged from the crowd. Paula turned and her eyes widened in panic as she saw the all-too familiar hexagons in Lucas's hands. "Fire that and we'll be risking a cave-in!" he explained.

Lucas winced as he clenched his fist, letting the attack fade away. She would have to talk with him later about it, but now wasn't the time. Paula let the fire loose over the Pigmasks, a few already fallen from Ana's PK Beams. The Pigmasks screamed as they ran around, burning as they were picked off by more blasts of PK Beam and musket shots.

"That was close," Holland remarked. "Alright; Ninten and Ana, stay in the front," she ordered. "Paula and Lucas, cover the rear."

All four PSI users nodded as they headed their separate ways.

Paula glanced at Lucas, opening her mouth to speak. "It's not your fault," she said.

"I know...I just feel that I should know better than to be that reckless," Lucas sighed.

"We all make mistakes."

"That's not what I meant," Lucas muttered as he clenched his fist. "I saw my brother rush off recklessly to his death. I knew that it was a suicide mission from the beginning, but no matter what, he would not accept anything that could even the odds; much less abandon his revenge plot. I...I thought that I learned to not be reckless from him, but I'm not so sure..."

"It's very different in everyday life to be reckless than when you're caught up in the heat of the moment," Paula replied, feeling sympathetic toward the blonde boy. "Even Ninten has made hasty and reckless decisions before, especially during his training days. Granted, five years in the Royal Guard had taught him to keep his cool, but it still happens."

"It just seems that I'm...getting more reckless lately."

Paula shrugged. "It _seems_ that way because it isn't so obvious. You'll learn," she reassured him.

"I hope so..."

Paula wished she could help Lucas more, but she couldn't think of anything else to say as they trudged on through the cave, the clanking of armor being the only noise in the cave.

* * *

Ana sighed with relief as they finally made it out of the caves. The air in there was disgusting to breathe in, and she no longer had to worry about being blinded by the darkness.

Only problem was a horde of chimeras had appeared around them, forcing the Eagleland soldiers to defend from their attacks, several unfortunately not reacting fast enough. As much as Ana wanted to help the wounded, she had to hold back the chimeras bearing down on her. She deployed a shield, managing to hold back a mechanical deer's charge. As soon as the chimera was repelled, she began blasting the chimeras in front of her with precise beams or bolts of lightning.

But it wasn't enough. Several chimeras were able to stand against her PSI and rushed at the girl. However, Lucas jumped in front of her with a PK Love, blasting them all back. Ana give a quick "thank you" to the boy as he replied with a nod of acknowledgement.

With that, the skirmish was over. All the chimeras were either dead or fleeing and from what Ana could see, at least two Eagleland soldiers were killed.

"You know, wouldn't it have been to their advantage to cave in the entrance?" one of the soldiers wondered.

"They're dumb; I've seen them in action before and they would only concentrate on killing people," another explained.

Ana noticed that Lucas seemed to be looking at something and she noticed Paula walking up to him.

"See something Lucas?" the princess asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Looks like a door."

"Hold on; let me bust it down," Teddy said, running towards it and throwing a massive punch at it before anyone could raise any objection. They could hear the sound of the impact, but all it left was a dent and the man rubbing his knuckles.

"And since when is punching iron with bare fists a good idea?" Ninten deadpanned.

"I suppose you can do better?" Teddy remarked with a glare, obviously in a bad mood.

Ninten ignored Teddy's reaction as he walked over to the door, drawing his Giant Knife. It glowed from the PSI energy he pushed into the blade as he stabbed it into the door, cutting through the metal. The veteran dragged it around in a circle, cutting an opening in the door. He managed to grab it before it fell, setting it down gently onto the ground. His heavy breathing was a tell-tale sign that it took a lot of effort to perform this stunt. Ninten briefly looked at Teddy.

"Let's just go in," the man grumbled.

Ninten nodded as he ducked through, leading everyone into the breach.

* * *

The first thing they noticed that stood out about the new area was how run down it was. Paula knew that the facility had been abandoned for a very long time, but she was surprised that the Pigmasks hadn't seen fit to do more patchwork to fix it up some more.

Still, the Pigmasks seemed to be able to tolerate it, since a trio rounded the corner, instantly freezing upon seeing the Eagleland soldiers.

That was fatal mistake given that all three fell onto the ground seconds later, their blood staining the already-dirty floor.

Paula scowled. Not only would the muskets and PSI blasts attract nearby attention, but the blood on the ground was a dead giveaway that something happened here. Once the Pigmasks found it, there would be no doubt that the Pigmasks would be notified of their presence on their home turf.

Sure enough, Lucas ducked back from the corner. "Pigmasks; a lot of them," he said.

Paula nodded as she ushered the soldiers (some of them dragging the three corpses) out of sight of the Pigmasks Lucas saw, knowing that stealth would be important from here on out. The Pigmasks passed by without looking down the hall that closely, much to their relief.

Holland signaled the unit to come out and move forward around the corner and continued down the hallway. Thankfully it didn't seem as this base was heavily manned, most of their forces probably tied down with the other force heading up the mountain. Paula briefly wondered what became of helping them out, though she knew that taking out the commander would be an invaluable strategic asset to the cause. It would not decide the battle, but it definitely would help the war.

Then a nearby door opened and the Pigmasks rushing out of there stopped dead at the sight of the Eagleland soldiers, who were in a similar state of shock.

Then all hell broke loose.

Paula fired off several bolts of electricity and blasts of ice at the Pigmasks, though she soon had to stop in fear of hitting her own soldiers. The Pigmasks were bottled up right in the doorway, with the Eagleland forces exacting a terrible toll from what little she could see from their chokepoint. It wasn't long before the skirmish ended in favor of Eagleland's soldiers.

Still, two or three Eagleland soldiers were lying on the ground, dead. Paula frowned but forced herself to look away. It was necessary for her to not lose herself with every death; it would only inhibit her ability to act in war conditions, as much as it tore her apart.

"It appears that this way is leading to a vital part of the base," Ninten said, reading a sign up on the wall. "One of their 'control centers' is up ahead, whatever that means."

"Their commanders can't be far from here then," Paula replied.

"I also sense one of their PSI users over there," Ninten said, looking over there. "I'll deal with this."

Paula looked at him, already knowing who it was he was referring to. "You'll be all alone," she replied, though she already knew that he realized this.

"Let us come too," Lucas said, his PSI sparkling around his hands for emphasis.

"It's more important that you take out the base," Ninten explained. "Don't worry; I don't intend to die out there. I'm just gonna tie down one of their elite soldiers," he called over his shoulder as he dashed down the hallway before turning.

"More like settle an old score," Paula muttered to herself, easily seeing through his excuse. Nevertheless, she knew it would do more harm than good trying to stop him, so she followed Lucas and Ana anyway.

"The control room is just up ahead," Holland announced. "We just gotta get through this area."

"And any Pigmasks blocking our way?" Lucas inquired as another group of their enemies stumbled upon them.

"Nope. Apparently they must've been drawn away or Pigmask security is really lax."

"Well then, allow me," Lucas smirked as he stepped forward, charging up his signature PK Love before blasting it at the door.

Paula watched as the doors crumbled under the power of Lucas's PSI. She saw every Pigmask scientist in the room freeze up instantly, and even the guards were taken aback. Naturally, those that tried to fire their guns were quickly dispatched by the PSI users as the Eagleland troops rounded up the surrendering enemies.

"Is this the control room?" Holland asked one of the scientists, probably for confirmation.

"Y-Yes ma'am," the scientist replied, obviously intimidated by the broadsword that Holland had in her hand.

"How do we shut down the security system them?" she interrogated.

"I-I-I don't know!" the scientist cried, flinching as in fear of being killed for his ignorance. "H-Honest! But our s-superior does..."

"Where is he?"

The scientist pointed a trembling figure at another one of the scientists towards the middle of the group. Holland backed away from the terrified scientist as she stalked over to the 'boss'.

"How do you shut down the security system?" Holland demanded.

"I-It's...complicated," the head scientist replied.

"What do you mean?" Paula asked, getting tired of all this stalling all the interrogated scientists were trying.

"Make one error...and you could send the entire base into haywire," the head scientist replied.

"Then shut it down yourself," Holland replied. "You do know how to do that, right?"

"Yes," the boss answered.

"Oh, and don't try anything funny, or I'll make sure you won't live to tell about it," Holland threatened, swinging her sword for emphasis. "Clear?"

"Crystal," the scientist gulped. "Wait, what is that guy doing?"

Paula turned to the controls to see Teddy raise one of his knives into the air.

"Teddy! Stop!" she barked, but it was too late. The man in question stabbed down on the control panel, knife obviously slicing through several wires. An alarm began to blare as the panel short-circuited, Teddy backing up just as it blew up.

"You fool!" the head scientist barked. "You just caused the entire system to malfunction!"

"Just by doing that?" he asked with a tilt to his head.

"The system is programmed to automatically trigger maximum defenses, regardless of the situation, if the controls were compromised! That means that every automated machine here is mobilizing against not only your soldiers but the Pigmasks as well!"

"Well then, let's withdraw and let the system kill the Pigmasks off," Teddy shrugged.

"And abandon all the intel we can get? No," Holland growled. "Is there any way to stop this?" she asked the scientist.

"You need to get to the backup controls and sever all power from the core!" the scientist replied.

"You heard him everyone! Get to the mainframe! And don't use it for target practice this time!" Holland ordered, leading everyone (except those guarding the prisoners) out of the room.

"This is why I hate machines," Paula heard Teddy mutter under his breath as they followed Holland out.

* * *

The commander exited the door, walking down the hallway. Now that all the classified information was locked up, she could say that she tried her best to protect it since there was nowhere near enough time to evacuate it...not that she planned on facing Fassad after this again. There was no way he'd let her go if she didn't take care of it as soon as she could, and she was honestly glad that it wasn't. And she sensed one of their PSI users peel off from the group...and she knew who that one was.

She leaned out of the way of a Pigmask soaring through the air. She watched as the soldier hit the wall and collapsed onto the floor. She felt bad for him, having to take on such a challenging foe as a PSI user without any proper support.

Sure enough, just the person she expected was standing at the end of the hallway. She smirked. "Well, you certainly have grown stronger over the years, even with your PSI Core shattered, haven't you?" she remarked.

"You shouldn't expect anything less four years later," Ninten replied, his face not giving any emotion away, just as she remembered him being like in battle. "And I don't expect anything less from you either."

"But with your PSI Core shattered, you can't use all of your PSI techniques, right?" Kumatora asked. "That is a...unique part of our technology, being able to fool the core into thinking its intact when it really isn't. I'm not a scientist, so don't think I can lecture you for this for hours...not that you would understand all the advanced terminology even if I did. But you're arrogant enough to think that you stand a chance against me with only two fragments?"

"You see, I have the essentials that are necessary to fight," Ninten said. "Most of my other powers are for protecting groups, not just merely myself. Sure, I'm still at a disadvantage without higher forms of Lifeup or any offensive PSI...but it'll be like our last spar together." Ninten's mouth curled into a smirk.

"In that case, mind as well give you a fair fight," Kumatora said as she reached out with her telekinesis, grabbing and swinging her hammer with two hands. She pushed the excitement of the battle out of her mind; she had to at least hold him enough for _that_ to happen.

"You know the saying. One shall stand..."

"And one shall fall," she finished, lunging forward with her hammer raised.

* * *

 **And that last line totally had nothing to do with Transformers. Nope. Not at all.**

 **Anyway, I hope to get out the next chapter next weekend...but if my inspiration keeps up the way it is, it's not likely. Expect it in two weeks, hopefully. Well, have a great day everyone!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _Mt. Itoi: A vast mountain nearby Ellay, which is relatively close to Castle Town as well. Its creation wasn't actually natural, instead created by the aliens to serve as a massive forward base once the first phase of the PSI Wars ended. As such, much of the alien architecture and structures remain; albeit, in various states of disrepair. One enduring legacy was the vast network of caves that provided a shortcut to the peak that didn't include traveling up the steep incline of the first half. The second half is much more manageable to climb, though it still requires ropes and awareness to avoid walking off of cliffs._

 _Pigmask Control Centers: These are the 'mother' of their entire defense; every single one has a variety of functions that rely on the control center of the base, from automated defense systems to their radio network. Naturally, these are vital to take out in battle, though there is always a backup that goes onto full alert mode if the main control center is destroyed due to the probable offensive that must be stopped. However, the backup is so underpowered that they could not install a feature that distinguishes friend from foe, so it would be for the best of the Pigmasks to place it under heavy guard._


	13. Arc 1: The Eight

**Alright, last chapter in the first arc! Finally, get to thicken the plot now. There will be another chapter that takes place in between Arc 1 and 2, so I'll hopefully get that out relatively quickly, even if it won't be as long as the more recent chapters I've been doing. I will be taking a small break afterward to try to regain inspiration and hopefully get a few chapters in Arc 2 done before I begin posting again. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **Connor the speling pro:** No, I don't think you came off that negatively. Personally, I do have an issue with being too harsh when critiquing things myself. If I was being offended, I would've talked with you about it. Granted, criticism stings at first, but it only lasts a few minutes before I get over it. And I greatly appreciate your advice, and I'll try to improve upon it in the future.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Earthbound...really, I've done this a bunch of times before. Do I really have to do it again?**

* * *

Lucas watched as the last of the Pigmasks fell from Paula's lightning, sighing in relief once the skirmish was over. He hated having to harm others like in this war, but it was a necessary evil. Besides, their objective was right in front of them. The sooner they could take it; the sooner people will stop dying.

"The mainframe is past those doors," the head scientist announced (the obvious), pointing directly at the double doors ahead. "We just need some way to get in there, as well as not be killed by the guards," he muttered, scratching his chin.

"Allow me," Lucas said as he walked to the front, concentrating on the buildup of power in his hand. He leveled it right at the door, and fired off a barrage of hexagons, which caused the door to not only fly off its hinges but also halfway across the room behind it.

"Good job, but was that really necessary?" Paula asked before she dashed into the room, firing off bolts of electricity at her opponents. Lucas couldn't help a sheepish grin on his face, knowing that he used way more force than necessary. Maybe he just overestimated the door's durability, or underestimated how own power.

Regardless of his power, the battle did not stop for him to process his thoughts for very long. However, it was one-sided enough that Paula and Ana's support were able to wreak enough havoc that the Eagleland soldiers quickly overwhelmed the Pigmask guards, though the 2-to-1 ratio also helped. Needless to say, when the skirmish was resolved, all the Pigmasks were dead while very few Eagleland soldiers were either dead or injured. Those that were injured were being treated by Ana.

He saw Holland gesture to the captured scientists behind them, and they began to make their way across to the back of the room as a few soldiers covered them just in case something happened.

"The backup mainframe," the head scientist announced, gesturing to the control panel (which had remarkably escaped damage in the fight). "Fine piece of work if I do say so myself."

"If it's so 'fine', then go and shut it down before someone runs knives through hit," Holland snapped, evidently not in the mood for unnecessary chatter.

"It'll take some time to properly shut it off," the scientist replied as he began messing with it. "Please try to be patient so we can concentrate."

Lucas saw Holland's hands ball up into fists at his casual tone, and the teen himself couldn't help glaring at him. "Our soldiers are _dying_ out there; Eagleland and Pigmasks thanks to your blasted system, so you _better_ know that we can't wait for you and your assistants to dilly dally around like-"

"Pigmasks incoming!" the cry of a soldier cut Holland off as everyone turned to look at the entrance. Lasers flew at them as Pigmasks were barreling down the hall, no Eagleland soldier daring to try to block them lest they be riddled with holes. As it was, several had already fallen before they could get to cover.

"Out of the way!" Paula cried, Lucas watching as she fired a blast of fire down the hall. The Eagleland soldiers by the entrance made sure to scoot away even further as the flames rushed past them. Lucas joined in the attack as well, charging up a PK Love Beta, trying to ignore the cries of agony from the burning Pigmasks as he fired it. The barrage broke the first line and probably wreaked havoc on the rest of the formation given how they flew back.

They were disorganized. This was the time to strike, and everyone knew it.

Captain Holland didn't even need to order the charge; most of the Eagleland soldiers were already rushing in with battle cries, Paula and Ana among them. Lucas glanced one last time at the scientists to make sure they were doing their job before rushing into the fray himself, trying to cast shields over friendly combatants.

* * *

 _Clang. Crash. Clang._

 _WHAM!_

Ninten swung his blade, not intending on showing any mercy to his adversary. Their confrontation already felt like hours to him, though he knew that not even a minute had gone by. It was probably only seconds that had passed.

He strafed to the side to evade one of his adversary's swings, trying to slash her in the process. Unfortunately for him, she managed to get out of the way and their old clash resumed as they tried (and failed) to score a solid hit.

Evidently, Kumatora had grown tired of it as she roared, swinging her hammer with enough force to knock Ninten's Giant Knife out of his hands, sending it flying several feet before it clattered to the ground right before it hit the wall. But the sheer power she put behind the swing left her vulnerable and Ninten was able to give her a knee right into the ribs before she could bring it back around. The veteran followed up by swinging one of his hands down into the hands that held her hammer, causing her to let go with a growl of pain.

His efforts to disarm her had left him open though, his opponent taking advantage of this by hurdling into him shoulder-first, sending both of them to the floor. Kumatora pinned Ninten onto the ground and attempted to punch him, but this was not his first time in a situation like this and he knew exactly what to do.

He was barely able to lean his head out of the way of the first punch and give her a sound headbutt, causing her to falter for long enough in order for him to knock her off of him. He quickly ran over to his Giant Knife and retrieved it, and also barely rolling out of the way of a blast of fire, though he could still feel the heat searing his skin.

"Looks like you still lack ranged skills," Kumatora chastised, picking up and twirling her hammer in her hands.

"I didn't need them against many of my opponents," Ninten replied, pointing his Giant Knife at her with confidence.

Kumatora didn't reply as their weapons met again, and again. Ninten knew that he couldn't meet her hammer head on due to its blunt force, instead either catching it on the handle or deflecting it by tilting his blade at an angle. Fortunately, his PSI infused blade was able to stand up to the punishment and even land a cut on her arm. Granted, she barely seemed to notice it and healed it the first chance she got, but it was something.

Ninten quickly realized her sole focus was on the clash, which gave him an idea. He charged his PSI, but not for a direct attack. He waved his hand, and sent his adversary's hammer flying out of her hands and into some random room next to them. He smirked in satisfaction as it worked, and she gave him a look, but not one of anger. She appeared more...impressed than anything.

"Not bad," she remarked with a grin. "Gave me enough time worrying about our clash that you were able to disarm me... Impressive, so allow me to see your...other skills." The veteran couldn't react fast enough to the blast of ice that flew at him, detonating right in front of where he stood. The shockwave from the blast knocked Ninten back and caused him to lose his grip on the blade, which went flying and clattered onto the ground next to him. But before Ninten could grab it, another blast of ice encased it in an icy slab where it would be impossible to retrieve. Ninten scowled as he stood up, watching his opponent carefully. Normally, the PSI user would use his telekinesis to get it free, but with Kumatora right there he was sure she wasn't gonna give him an opportunity to do so.

He rushed in, knowing that it was his only chance of landing some solid hits. His quick strikes caused his opponent to stumble into the room behind her. However, his adversary's hands began to sparkle, and Ninten managed to get out of the way of one of the bolts, but not the second. He growled and clenched his teeth, trying to shrug off the feeling of his skin being sizzled. Fortunately, the attack did not last for very long and quickly ended, the veteran simply using Lifeup to restore his energy. Besides, it was only Beta level; not too powerful.

Kumatora took the opportunity to rush in while he was distracted and pinned him against the wall. This wasn't the first time such a situation happened to Ninten, and he quickly broke free and slammed her against the wall, but before he could reverse the positions, the fiery tomboy whipped around and backhanded him across his cheek. It didn't hurt that much, but it did cause Ninten to back off.

Kumatora glanced around the room and smirked. "When we're finish, care to clean up my office?" Kumatora asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Trashing it is a better idea to me," Ninten retorted, PSI charging around his hands and held one out as a psychic blade formed in it.

Kumatora replied with a shrug, forming her own blade in her hands. They charged in, another round of clashing weapons underway.

* * *

The Pigmask counterattack was long since beaten back; now the Eagleland troops were still on the alert, but no Pigmasks were incoming. Many of the inexperienced ones (particularly the militiamen) were starting to relax while the veterans tried to maintain their vigilant watch.

"Are you done yet?" Lucas impatiently asked. "I'm starting to think that you are only doing this to stall us at this point."

"And you who know nothing about this system could do better?" one of the scientists countered.

"Touche," Lucas grumbled, fidgeting to try to alleviate his frustration at not being able to do anything.

"There; that should do it!" the head scientist declared. "We also gave the order for surrender as well...shouldn't be long before the battle ends."

"We just have to make sure that they all stop shooting and round them up," Holland said. Still, Lucas couldn't help a sigh of relief, glad that the battle was finally over.

"Wish my friend wasn't transferred," he overheard the head scientist say to one of his colleagues. "He and his sons would be relieved to be liberated from this."

"It won't be over until we take out their commander," Paula reminded Lucas, evidently noticing that he was relaxing.

Lucas smacked himself on the forehead for forgetting that Ninten was in the middle of his own battle.

"You three; go and help Fubiki take on the commander!" Holland ordered the PSI users. "Lieutenants, split into three groups. Two will secure the base and round up prisoners; kill any that don't surrender and I'll take the third down to meet up with the other force."

A chorus of affirmatives followed, the Eagleland soldiers breaking into three groups and rushing out of the door, splitting off down the hallways. Meanwhile Lucas looked at Paula, whom he considered to be the honorary leader whenever Ninten wasn't around.

"Never liked the Pigmasks anyway...good riddance they're surrendering," the head scientist grumbled as Eagleland soldiers around him kept a careful watch on him. "Had enough of being used like that."

"Alright; follow me down the hall," Paula ordered, Lucas getting on her flank with Ana on her other.

"Hey hold on a minute," Teddy butted in. "Don't think it's a good idea for you three kids to be without adult supervision."

"We managed fine without you," Lucas shot back, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Why the anger?" Teddy asked. "You can't deny that another fighter would be useful. At least it gives you better odds of making it out alive, right?

"Fine, but don't get in our way," Lucas conceded, tapping his foot to signal that he was ready to move on.

"Geez; what's with this guy?" he heard Teddy ask. The blonde teen didn't even bother with a response, casting a dark glare at the wall in front of him as he followed Paula out.

* * *

Ninten staggered back from a hit, but quickly slashed to prevent her from following up. He deployed a Shield Alpha over himself, renewing the other rapidly weakening shield. Kumatora simply fired off a blast of lightning, but Ninten managed to throw himself to the side, but didn't escape the full attack.

Nevertheless, he brought his blade around and tried to cut her, but to no avail. However, he was keenly aware that his PSI energy was dwindling, so between that and his lack of success he let the blade dissolve into thin air.

Kumatora on the other hand seemed to think that this was her chance and moved in, Ninten forced to duck and dodge her attacks. One of her attacks left her wide open, so he quickly performed a sweep kick, knocking his opponent off her feet, though she rolled away before he could bring his foot down on her.

"You certainly are tenacious, aren't you?" Kumatora observed. "For someone who lacks long-range capability, you certainly are giving me a run for my money."

"It's called 'close quarters training'," Ninten replied as he watched Kumatora dissolve her own blade. "You could probably use more experience there."

"But maybe you should be more focused on defense," Kumatora smirked, firing off a quick blast of lightning at him.

Ninten didn't react quickly enough, the bolts connecting with him. He growled in pain as he fell to one knee, weakened by the electric blast. His mind temporarily drifted back to the fight against Fassad in Tazmily, but unlike then, he had Lifeup back. He quickly used it to revitalize himself, though his PSI energy was running critically low. He'd have to start drawing on his reserves before long.

"I'm not surprised on how tough you've become, but you are still at the disadvantage," Kumatora remarked, more PSI energy surrounding her hands.

"And what makes you think total victory was my intention to begin with?" Ninten questioned.

"I thought so," the Pigmask commander grinned. "Buying time...but you need not have bothered."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you'll find out in a minute...and I'm also sure it has nothing to do with any sort of trap for your forces."

"And if you're lying?" Ninten growled, not happy about the possibility.

"Then you'd be on your own, so you better hope I'm not."

* * *

It was an ordinary day for the Pigmask second-in-command, though it always seemed quite dull due to the lack of action he'd been in recently. He didn't know why his subordinates were so incompetent as to be forced onto the defensive by those loathsome government pawns. The Pigmasks had more will to fight than the average Eagleland soldier, so why couldn't they beat off the enemy more often?

Well, at least the project was coming along on schedule. If anything, the army would buy them enough time to complete the project...though it worried him with how much Kumatora knew. Did she realize what exactly they were going to use the power for? It would be dangerous if she leaked this information to the enemy... He had no choice. He would have to get rid of her to ensure the secret's safety. It would not sit well with anyone outside the Supreme Command that they were chasing what most would consider a legend fabricated from thousands of years ago.

Fassad took a massive bite out of his banana, dropping the peel on the floor. For him, eating was always a reliable way to deal with stress, especially eating bananas. And with this war nearing a critical point, he needed to be relaxed if he was to continue being an effective commander. None of his subordinates could see the picture like he and his master could, which was why he knew that they needed time to win the war, and time was what the armies were buying. Granted, he expected them to be more successful, but he supposed that for rising from an unconventional background he could not hope for that much more on the open battlefield. If the terrain was more suitable, they would've relied more on guerrilla tactics, but that was impossible.

"Commander!" Fassad jerked as his train of thought was derailed by the shout and the banging on the door, and he nearly dropped the banana he just grabbed on the floor.

He scowled, but figured that he mind as well listen in case this was anything important. "Come in, and what is it?" Fassad growled, even though he tried to keep his voice civil.

Apparently the Pigmask on the other side was too panicked to notice, given that he just rushed into the room and gasped, "We just lost contact with our base on Mt. Itoi!"

"What?" Fassad yelled, his previous annoyance frightened replaced with fury at the loss of such a strategic location in such little time.

"Our sensors no longer work!" the Pigmask explained. "The last we know is that Commander Kumatora was fighting a PSI user aligned to the Confederation, and that the base was on the verge of falling when communications were cut."

"Great..." Fassad sighed, wondering if their greatest secrets were about to fall into the hands of the enemy. "You can leave now soldier, but if you breathe a word to anyone about this, I will have your head as well as everyone who knows about it! Clear?" he threatened.

The Pigmask squeaked as he hastily saluted and scuttled out of the room.

Fassad leaned back in his chair with a sigh, shutting his eyes as he pondered the situation. He would have to consider Mt. Itoi lost, which meant that the forces around Ellay would have no choice but to withdraw. And he didn't know what their commander would do in the meantime. Kumatora had always been a loose cannon in the Pigmask hierarchy, and it was unlikely that she wouldn't do something to only exacerbate how her fellow commanders viewed her. With communications with the mountain cut, someone would have to fly out there personally to check out the situation...though maybe she was responsible for disabling the surveillance system somehow.

* * *

Ninten didn't know how much longer they could last. He felt that he was on the last of the reserves of his PSI energy, and from what he could tell; Kumatora was likely suffering from a similar issue due to no longer using any PSI attacks. Both were breathing hard and it was clear that they were on their last legs.

Ninten growled as he began to himself forward, ready to enter another round of close quarters combat when a beeping sound went off, causing him to halt.

"What is it?" Kumatora asked as she pushed a button, though kept a watchful eye on her opponent.

 _"Commander! The mainframe has gone down!"_ a voice barked over the intercom.

"Order all troops to retreat!" Kumatora immediately ordered through her heavy breaths.

 _"But commander, Marshal Fassad's orders were to-"_

"Those orders can rot in hell for all I care!" Kumatora snapped, cutting off the reply. "Get as many people as you can out! Understand?"

 _"Y-Yes commander,"_ the Pigmask stuttered before cutting off the line.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "About time that happened," she muttered.

Ninten merely raised an eyebrow. "You're saying that the loss of this base is a good thing?" he questioned with a hint of incredulity to his tone.

"From my perspective, yes," Kumatora replied. "But that's enough of this. This battle is over; you've won."

"That's unlike you to give up so easily," Ninten muttered, raising an eyebrow at her. "Almost makes me think you've lured me into a trap...especially since you seem to be better off than me."

Sure enough, most of the injuries were sustained by Ninten, having been burned, electrocuted, and blasted with ice multiple times over the battle, though Kumatora had not escaped scot-free either, with multiple bruises and cuts on her.

"I did what I needed to do, so can you at least let me speak?" she asked.

"Okay then," Ninten answered after a moment of silence. The most she could do was either stall for reinforcements (which were unlikely given her order) or try to manipulate him. He wasn't going to fall for the latter, and he could escape the former if he had to.

"You remember what I said the last time we met?" Kumatora asked. "How the Pigmasks desire equality and a stronger government? Well, I'm sure you've seen the chimeras we fielded in recent battles...you know, the half-machine and other hideous fusions of animals?"

"Yeah? What about them?"

"The Pigmasks are violating their own promises by creating them," Kumatora growled, clenching her fists. "We were told that they were only being created to save the lives of animals that had been critically injured. Yet perfectly healthy ones are being converted."

"And you didn't find out about this until they began to be fielded?" Ninten questioned skeptically.

"Fassad's very good at keeping information from people...but not good enough," Kumatora smirked. "I was able to pull some strings to get into classified information...and not only did I find out some of their darkest secrets, I also figured out their main objective."

That got Ninten's curiosity, since if he could learn their plan, then they could use this knowledge against them and win the war. But there was still that chance Kumatora was lying, so he had to be careful.

"There are eight pockets of Pigmask forces scattered across Eagleland," Kumatora explained, beginning to pace back and forth across the room. "They could simply be behind your lines, out of the way locations, and just overall terrible place to form bases...except for one quality they all have in common.

"They each house one of the Eight Sanctuaries."

Ninten scoffed, finding it hard to believe Kumatora's claim. "Yeah right. The Eight Sanctuaries are only a myth; you know that as well as I do."

Kumatora neglected to reply as she walked across the room behind her desk, which was surprising to Ninten. From what he knew of her, she didn't tend to take such disrespect well. _'Maybe she matured a little, or she simply expected me to reply like that,'_ he mused as she pressed the button on the wall behind it. Two panels on the wall shuddered as they slid open, revealing the high-tech room on the other side.

"Well, aside from showing off your incredible tech, do you have a reason for this?" Ninten questioned, following her into the room.

"See this?" Kumatora asked, shoving a paper into Ninten's face.

"Maybe you haven't gotten over your anger issues after all," Ninten muttered to himself, reading it. His brow furrowed in concentration as he skimmed it, but he quickly grasped the point; it was proof of the Eight Sanctuaries' existence.

"And that's your hard proof right there," Kumatora said, a hint of smugness to her tone.

Ninten ignored that as he looked back up at her. "I take it there's more proof?" he asked.

Kumatora nodded. "You'd expect me to believe a legend with only _one piece of paper_ to back it up?" she laughed. "I had to practically move the Earth itself to get all of this information," she claimed.

"So why did you go to such lengths to find out about this?"

"I wanted to find out what was up with those eight pockets of Pigmasks that weren't really doing anything," she explained. "They were at largest battalion sized units too; valuable in the front lines with how low our numbers are. And when I found out about them...well, I couldn't stop looking into them. If the power that they are said to possess is even remotely comparable to how powerful they really are, then no one can possess it...and certainly not a faction that has broken its promises in the past."

"What are you saying?" Ninten inquired, a small bit of hope surfacing within him at a suspicion that grew.

"Is it not obvious that I'm ditching them? Gosh!" Kumatora threw her hands up into the air in exasperation.

As much as Ninten wanted to smile at that, he forced his face to remain impassive as he said, "You should know me well enough that I would be skeptical by that." He set the paper down as he carefully pondered his next words. "How do I know you won't stab us in the back?"

"Guess I shouldn't expect anything less from you, old friend," Kumatora remarked. "But I will prove it to you; but don't expect me to fight for Eagleland. I don't want anything to do with that weak, inefficient, and corrupt government you call a Confederation."

"Fine; be that way. But you know well enough that I can't just let you walk away," he told her. "And that I will need to see a Sanctuary myself to believe your claims, even with the evidence."

"You can sense my feelings, can't you?" Kumatora grumbled.

"And if you're fooling me there?"

"Just as sharp as ever," the former commander mused. "Though, I have something that might interest you, aside from additional sensitive information."

"And what is it?"

"You'll find out." Ninten scowled, not liking not knowing, but he followed her into the next room anyway.

He had to admit, he was impressed by the sight of the massive reactor that not only blocked off the center of the room, but even sprawled out near the edges of the room. He had never seen anything like it in his entire life.

"This isn't one of the things, but it may interest you that we used to have a super-powerful synthetic PSI core in there," Kumatora elaborated. "The Pigmasks used that to power this base until we could generate electric power; it was shipped off to somewhere else where it was needed more."

"This gets more complicated by the second..." Ninten grumbled to himself. Science was never his strong suit, and it was a miracle that he even knew what 'synthetic' meant, which went to show how much he hated the subject in general.

Kumatora didn't react to his disdain however and walked over to a small compartment. She opened it and yanked out a cylinder, and she turned around and held it so Ninten couldn't miss the green ball of light within it. "Wait a minute, is this-"

"This container is not only protected by technology designed to resist PSI, but also block PSI senses, hence why you did not detect the fragment here," she said as she opened it, the energy shooting out and returning to its rightful owner. Ninten smirked as he felt more of his power returning, feeling as though he could be more of a match for Kumatora now. Speaking of which...

"Not trying to sound ungrateful, but why did Fassad give it to you?" he asked, curious on why it was here of all places.

"He said I should use it to increase my powers," Kumatora scoffed. "That was shortly after the opening attack, and as you can see...I didn't use it. It would be revolting for me to siphon another's power, especially that of a former friend. Not only that, it would also be unfair."

 _'That's one good thing your pride is for,'_ Ninten thought, deciding to hold it back given that she might take offense.

Still, there was one unanswered question. "How did the Pigmasks even get the fragments in the first place?" he asked.

"Whatever Fassad used to break your core was designed to absorb the fragments as well," Kumatora explained. "But that's not important right now. The other item...is this." She held out a blue stone that was in the perfect shape of a sphere. "This is what is used to harness the powers of the Sanctuaries; the Sound Stone," Kumatora continued.

"This certainly has turned out far more than I had bargained for," Ninten mused. "No wonder why Fassad wanted to keep this a secret." He coughed briefly before saying, "I'll go and explain what happened so you're not shot at."

"Finally believe I'm ditching them?"

"I'm still skeptical, but I have to admit you do seem genuine," Ninten explained. "But I still have a few questions, like why didn't you surrender in the first place if you were really going rogue to begin with."

"I will explain that later," Kumatora replied.

"Ninten!" Both of their heads whipped around to the entrance, seeing Lucas charge through first and Teddy right behind him.

"Get her!" Teddy barked as he charged at Kumatora, knives drawn and bearing down on her.

He wasn't fast enough, and Ninten quickly drew on the very last of his PSI reserves to form a blade, managing to block both of Teddy's knives and throw off his course.

"I could've handled that myself, Ninten," Kumatora grumbled as Paula and Ana entered the room.

"Save it," he growled in reply.

"W-What's going on?" Ana stuttered, glancing between the bickering duo, the recovering Teddy, and her two other friends.

"Stand down!" Ninten barked, stepping in front of Kumatora. "She's coming with us."

"You mean I'm not with the Pigmasks anymore," Kumatora corrected.

"You're still coming with us whether you are or not," Ninten said, the former commander rolling her eyes in reply.

"You sure about that?" Lucas replied, skepticism evident in his tone and face.

"She has valuable information that we need to see," Ninten explained.

"What kind of information?"

"The kind of information I would not trust our own commanders with," Ninten answered. "Least we can do is figure out as much as we can and decide from there."

"You'd sure she'd cooperate?" Lucas asked, throwing a distrustful glare in her direction.

"I'm only doing this because the Pigmasks have lost their senses," Kumatora growled, clenching her fists. "But don't expect me to pledge loyalty to your Confederation; once I'm finished here I'm not fighting for either side."

"Suit yourself," Ninten shrugged. Not like he cared as long as she didn't get herself in trouble or set herself against him.

"What do you mean by the information you wouldn't entrust the leaders with?" Paula questioned.

"Incredible power," Ninten vaguely replied, being careful not to give too much away now.

"Wouldn't keeping that secret hinder the war effort?" Teddy chastised, looking ready to draw his knives on Ninten. "You could be executed for treason for that."

Ninten was hardly intimidated by his threat, but it would be best to make sure he didn't tattle on anyone. "We should at least hear her out before we decide," Ninten compromised, trying to calm him down. "I would prefer not to keep secrets, but if word of this got out..."

"It would be catastrophic," Kumatora finished, crossing her arms. "PSI users all around Eagleland would go after it, and then history would repeat itself."

"What about the battle?" Ninten asked, finally sensing an opportunity to do so. "What happened?"

"We're just rounding up prisoners," Paula said. "We personally experienced little resistance...it's as good as done."

Ninten nodded, pleased with the results, at least right now. "Now, come along with us," he told Kumatora. "We have a lot to talk about and documents to retrieve."

* * *

"So if you want to keep this all a secret, why interrogate me right where all sorts of guards can overhear us?" Kumatora questioned, glancing around the room duly.

"To avoid suspicion," Ninten answered. "The army doesn't allow defectors to simply walk around freely at first, much less a rogue."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Kumatora sighed, shaking her head.

"Can we just start now?" Lucas groaned as he tapped his foot on the ground. "I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to."

Kumatora nodded, seemingly sympathizing with the blonde's sentiment. "Well, all of this will take some time to explain, so just have a seat and I'll tell you everything..."

* * *

 **Well, I hope it was a satisfactory close to Arc 1. Arc 2 will, not surprisingly, be centering around the Eight Sanctuaries and will be quite long. The army won't be featured anywhere near as much in that as in Arc 1 or Arc 3, but it will still get its moments...I hope. Arc 2 is frankly the part of the story I'm least confident in, just giving y'all a heads up, but I will do my best to maintain the quality of the story, dialogue, and stuff. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and have a great day!**

* * *

 _PSI Encyclopedia_

 _PSI Reserve: A last ditch reserve for PSI that can be built over time. It is stored in the deepest parts of the PSI Core, and how much power can be stored depends on the size of it and how experienced the PSI user is at storage. Typically though, outside the most experienced and powerful PSI users, the reserve is only good for one low level technique upwards to maybe one moderate level, if you're lucky. Still, it is required for all PSI users in the military to learn since one more PSI attack could mean one more life saved, or one more kill to the tally._

 _Eagleland Prisoner Policy: If enemy soldiers are captured in battle, they are herded into the rear where the reserves would look after them until they are sent to a prison camp. However, in the war against the Pigmasks preparations had to be made quickly, and since not everything could be covered, priority was given to getting troops and supplies up to the front as opposed to providing adequate facilities to hold people in. So Eagleland's current status in terms of prison camps is too few in which 'poor condition' is an understatement. Nevertheless, with the immediate threat countered, secondary priorities, such as prisoners, can now be worried about._

 _Eight Sanctuaries: Not much is known about them outside of mere legends. However, it is obvious that they give great power to those who manage to use the 'key' to reach all eight. Other than this, not even our best historians know for certain whether or not they even exist or were just some glorified legend._


	14. Interlude: Foresight

**Haha, oh another late chapter that's probably kinda crappy. Truly sorry about that. And I have more bad news: I'm taking the next month or two off from posting on this story. That doesn't mean I won't be working on the chapters, oh no. I'll try to get some of the initial drafts for the first few chapters of Arc 2 written, and when they're revised I'll post them...but please be patient. My drive to work on this fic has suffered recently as well as the fact that one of my other projects is demanding my attention if I will get it out on schedule. Other than that, thanks for reading, and have a great day!**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **Connor the speling pro:** Thanks for the compliment on characterization. Though, honestly I can't really say how to write a character like that. It just...came to me. And there are specific characters who I indeed have a hard time writing like, say, your version of Lloyd in Ceres. Have problems with creepy/nice characters myself. ...And I did it again. Yep, probably gonna notice that a lot, lol. Yeah, it does sound a bit contradictory, but I think I get what you're saying. Essentially build up one part to paint a picture for the image or to be suspenseful, but then go back and allow the fast-paced part of the battle to take over, right? And yeah, I find that quite often I don't have a lot to say, and then I go and rant. Happens more with reviews and PMs than anything, haha. Anyway, see you too!

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the fic and...it's essentially copy/paste from the previous chapters.**

* * *

"Even with the initial attacks, the Pigmasks were never trying to decisively smash your forces," Kumatora said, looking each of them in the eye as she began her spiel. "We tried to maintain that appearance, yes, but that was merely to acquire a defensive perimeter where we could defend our holdings and stall your forces. We officers thought that we were merely trying to stall you into accepting a temporary Pigmask nation, and then when we were ready we'd finish the job. But it turns out; it was not that but rather to buy time."

"Time for what?" Paula asked, frowning.

"Time to secure the Eight Sanctuaries."

"The Eight Sanctuaries?" the princess gasped, turning to Ninten (who wasn't surprised at all with the revelation). "They're real?"

"The Pigmasks seem to think so," Ninten said with a shrug. "They even have a number of classified documents regarding that."

"To be honest, I had a tough time believing it at first, until I accumulated so much proof I couldn't deny their existence," Kumatora admitted. "Well, short of visiting them myself, but it would've aroused too much suspicion if I did."

"It does provide some insight on what the Pigmasks hope to achieve," Ninten mused.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked.

"The Pigmasks want to harness that power to use it for some kind of superweapon, I think," Kumatora explained. "I could find no information on what their intents are, but why would they want to use it for anything other than military might when a war is going on?"

"Awe us into surrender?" Ninten sarcastically suggested.

"Regardless, the information is so secret that _Fassad_ himself might not know, and he's second-in-command...though he probably does given his reaction to me announcing that I found out the info," Kumatora chuckled. "But it's no joke on what they might achieve with such power."

"The power of the Eight Sanctuaries?" Lucas questioned. "What exactly are these 'Sanctuaries' and how are they supposed to be all-powerful?"

Ninten smacked his head, remembering something. "That's right. The legend isn't well-known outside of the archives, are they?" he muttered, frustrated at forgetting that detail.

"I would bet that the legend don't end well though," Teddy stated.

"If the legends were indeed true, then the Eight Sanctuaries have quite a bloody history," Ninten said, taking a deep breath. "According to the legend, anyone who manages to reach all eight said that their psychic powers will drastically increase. Note that I said 'psychic powers'. You don't have to be a PSI user to harness this power, whatever it is. It is said that whoever harnesses that power will vastly increase their own, to the point of being able to control nature." The veteran coughed at how ridiculous that sounded before continuing. "It probably is exaggerated, but we can't take chances. It cannot fall into Pigmask hands."

"And because of that power, wars were fought over it," Kumatora continued, a far-off look in her eye for whatever reason. "Long, bloody campaigns for all eight continued for years, until one day, a man finally succeeded in claiming the power. He only intended to use it to end the war; but instead, he went mad and betrayed his own ideals. He aggressively moved against the other leaders, declaring that true peace will only come when the enemy was totally destroyed. Under this threat, the other leaders put aside their differences out of sheer desperation.

"No one knows exactly what happened to him. Some accounts claim he was sealed away with the very power he claimed, and others say he was killed. But all of them said that he was defeated."

"And this wasn't even a PSI user," Ninten added. "PSI didn't exist on Earth until eight years ago and it's a well-known fact that PSI is far superior to any other psychic power that we know of. Now imagine that kind of power in the hands of today's PSI users." Ninten gave a humorless chuckle at the mental image of one PSI user raining unspeakable destruction on a city. "Point is; if they are truly all-powerful and the Pigmasks manage to harness that power...we're screwed. If they manage to control it."

"If they don't?" Paula inquired.

"I don't know what will happen then," Kumatora confessed. "It would likely cause a catastrophic failure that would backfire spectacularly."

"How bad?"

"I don't know!" Kumatora shouted as she threw her hands up. "We _can't_ know until we find out how much power it provides. But at worst, it could destroy the whole planet...but it probably isn't anywhere near that powerful."

"And what about this?" Ninten asked, holding out a perfectly spherical stone.

"Where did you get that?" Kumatora demanded, her eyes narrowing.

"Remember when I helped carry the documents regarding the Sanctuaries away?" Ninten questioned. "I found this in a container hidden in a secret compartment. I figured it was important if you bothered to keep this hidden."

"That is the item that supposedly allows a psychic to harness the power of the Eight Sanctuaries," Kumatora explain. "Don't ask me how they're using the power without it, but I found it on a mission before the war," she said. "I realized what it was and played dumb, not letting them know I actually found what they sent me to find. It's apparently called a 'Sound Stone'...don't ask me why, but that's what it is."

"We should destroy it then. It's too dangerous," Ninten said.

"Why throw away this chance to crush these Pigsnots?" Teddy questioned, pumping a fist. "It'll save lives."

"Did you not listen to what the legends said?" Ninten asked in disbelief. "It _corrupted_ the person who tried to use it. It'll only happen again if we use it."

"We'll be more careful then," Teddy protested. "Besides, you didn't address those lives I said would be saved."

"If we were more careful, we wouldn't even _be_ fighting this war to begin with!" Ninten yelled, Lucas stepping back and Ana visibly flinching from his outburst.

"And how would you even know it'll corrupt someone before they gained that power?" Teddy growled, standing up to his full height to tower over the smaller veteran.

"Even without the Eight Sanctuaries, I've seen people start to grow arrogant once their PSI begins to develop rapidly," Ninten said in a little over a whisper, knowing that any louder could have him begin to shout. "They became drunk on that power, and it cost them in many of their spars, and some didn't learn before they were sent out into the battlefield, and..."

"But if it saves lives with none in return, wouldn't it be worth it?"

"All it takes is that seed of temptation," Paula stated. "That's all it takes for whoever holds that power to turn on us and begin to slaughter us _and_ the Pigmasks. That's what we're worried about."

"Ahem."

Ninten didn't even pay that a second thought as he continued to debate with the stubborn Teddy over this.

"HEY!" Everyone in the room jumped as they turned to meet Kumatora's glare. "Aren't you guys supposed to be asking me questions?" Kumatora butted in, folding her arms. "Do you have any more questions, or should I just go to bed now?"

He and Teddy shared a glance. "We'll have this discussion later," he stated before turning back to Kumatora, already feeling a question come to his mind. "Why didn't you surrender immediately if you were going rogue, therefore saving lives?" Ninten asked.

"Because Fassad was eavesdropping on me," Kumatora replied. "He wants to make sure his orders are carried out to the letter, and it was only because it was recently installed that I was even able to find out about the Eight Sanctuaries without detection, as well as the fact of doing my research outside my office."

"And you couldn't disable it?"

"If it went down, it would have to be believable," Kumatora explained. "If he figured out that I was giving away the secret of the Sanctuaries, he would have them heavily fortified and alerted, completely ruining the element of surprise."

"Even with a battalion guarding each?" Ninten questioned.

"At most. Others have only a small brigade, and they're typically rather spread out as opposed to concentrated. That'll make things a lot easier for you."

With all his questions directly regarding the Sanctuaries answered, he proceeded to a few new topics. "I take it troop dispositions along this front are in the documents?" Ninten inquired.

"Yes," Kumatora answered.

Ninten nodded before he settled on a question that had been bugging him for a while now. "Well, this one might be a bit difficult to answer, but how come Pigmask technology is so advanced yet they can't squeak out a victory?"

"We sent small forces beyond the border into the Badlands," Kumatora answered. "They took everything they could find, whether human or alien, and we reverse-engineered them, especially since we had to use different materials and whole different processes to make them. Without our ability to sustain 'modern' technology, it was kind of expected. The trouble came in the field. Due to those factors, we experienced all sorts of equipment failures commonly and most soldiers don't know how to really use them outside of the basics. That is why the war has tipped in your favor, along with your numerous PSI users compared to our...what? Dozen or so?"

Ninten nodded in affirmation. "I guess we should disband those experimental units then until we can fix them," he commented to no one in particular.

"Is that everything? I'm getting sick of having questions shot at me," the rogue grumbled.

"Yeah, that was the last of mine," Ninten said. "Anyone else have questions?" Everyone else shook their heads. "Well, we'll be leaving you alone now." With that he turned around and left the room behind the other occupants.

* * *

It was exactly the place (well, one of the places on Mt. Itoi) they needed to go to in order to have a discussion like this privately. Lucas glanced around at the trees surrounding the clearing and at Ninten, who currently was back to arguing with Teddy over the Eight Sanctuaries. Paula was trying to play mediator, but Lucas knew that she supported Ninten's position. Thing was, Lucas couldn't decide who to throw his support behind. Teddy's reasoning on the war being quicker and maintaining the peace with the power was very tempting and would take out wars before they started. On the other hand, the 'corruption of power' rhetoric Ninten was using was enough to make Lucas doubt the power's usability, even though he didn't fully agree with Ninten's stance. If they got someone wise to wield that power, there would be so much more to gain, but...

"What about Lucas and Ana?" Teddy asked, turning to the undecided duo. "They haven't said anything yet."

Lucas and Ana glanced at each other, Lucas seeing his indecisiveness reflected in Ana's eyes. And it appeared that they would have to take sides now...

"Don't drag them into this," Ninten growled. "They probably haven't decided."

"No... Its fine," Lucas calmly said, despite Ninten being spot on with his inner conflict. "We need a minute to think this over."

He quietly scooted closer to Ana, whispering, "What do you think?"

"I-I think that the power _could_ be used, but with Ninten's concerns we'd probably have to be...careful."

"That makes sense," Lucas nodded. "Any way we can get them to compromise?"

"Well, I'm not sure but how about we get the melodies but then decide what to do with the Sound Stone afterward," Ana suggested.

"Brilliant!" Lucas grinned. "That won't decide the issue, but then maybe we'd have a clearer picture later on what needs to be done."

"O-Only problem is...it might be stolen or maybe we can't store it," Ana murmured, breaking eye contact. "If that happened..."

"We'll probably make up our minds by the time we get the eighth melody, so all we need to do is to make sure it's secure."

Ana nodded, and Lucas had no doubt about throwing her support behind this. He turned to the other three and asked, "Is it possible that we can store the melodies on there and then put it somewhere safely?"

"What are you saying?" Teddy asked.

Paula and Ninten's eyes seemed to light up though. "Are you saying that we could use the Sound Stone to acquire each melody, but then _not_ use it if we don't have to?" Paula asked.

"Yep."

"What if someone stole it or it was activated by accident?" Ninten asked.

"It's worthless without all eight melodies and I doubt that anyone other than the Pigmasks or us would actually get to the last Sanctuary, wherever it is," Lucas added. "And if we didn't want the eighth melody, we wouldn't have to get it. We could just leave it at seven and then destroy the stone or something."

"It'll at least buy us more time to think this over and the fog of war wouldn't be as thick," Paula reasoned. "If we need to use it, then at least we'll have that option open. If not, we can easily destroy it."

Ninten and Teddy glanced at each other and nodded. "Alright, we'll use that idea for now," Ninten said. "We'll, uh... _hopefully_ not fight like we did when we next try to debate it. I'll go talk with the colonels and see if we can go after them."

"Are you actually going to tell them about the Sanctuaries?" Teddy demanded.

"No of course not," Ninten scoffed. "I'm just saying we're going after eight strongpoints vital to the Pigmasks, at least from reports recovered from the raid."

"You sure that'll work?" Lucas asked.

"It's the best idea we have," Ninten reasoned. "Anyway, get some rest and stock up on equipment. If we go, we probably won't be coming back anytime soon, so take advantage of this."

* * *

He strolled up to the front of his cell, examining the faces of those in nearby cells of their own. On two faces, he saw hopelessness, which was the general mood from what he saw in the brief periods he was allowed out, albeit, only for slave labor. Honestly, he couldn't blame them for that. There seemed to be no hope for them anytime soon, but he could not stop from being bothered by their willingness to just...roll over and give up, not actually resist.

His gaze turned to the cell across from his, making eye contact with the sole occupant of that room. He often wondered what it would be like to see the king himself, but he never expected to meet him like this. The Queen was one cell to his right, and even though he could not make out her features in the dim lighting of that area, he could still make out her silhouette. As far as he could tell from their posture and the king's face, they had not lost hope entirely yet, even though that they themselves were forced to participate in the construction of defenses that would surely kill a number of their own soldiers.

The teen snapped out from his musing as a group of Pigmasks, accompanied by one that looked more like a sumo wrestler than anything, came into the room. He knew what was about to happen, and he stepped back as two Pigmasks undid the lock and opened his cell door, entering his quarters.

"Come on," one of them growled, seizing and yanking the teen's arm, causing him to stumble forward, but he quickly regained his balance and followed despite the crushing grip of the guard. Seriously, if they were supposed to be fighting for the equality of PSI users, why was he being abused like this when they knew that he was one of them?

He was dragged up the stairs, the teen occupying himself by staring at the walls. They were murky, damp, and dirty. Not exactly the picture of pristine that he always envisioned the castle to be, but given that it was a different faction who apparently could care less about royalty as opposed to power and science, upkeeping of the symbol of the Royal Family wasn't very important.

The Pigmasks shoved open the door in front of them, and the teen had to squint in order to allow his eyes to begin adjusting to the light. At least the upstairs was more visually appealing, though signs of neglect were beginning to show from the same lack of upkeep as the dungeons had. He was escorted through several of the hallways, at more than one point forced to step over leftover debris from the battle (it was beyond him why they neglected to clean it up) until they reached the outside.

"Today, you'll be working on helping to build barricades here," one of the Pigmasks growled. "Use your fancy powers to help, but remember: run and we'll kill you. Understand?"

"Clear," the teen replied.

"Then get to work," the Pigmask ordered, shoving him roughly forward. The teen stumbled forward and barely prevented himself from going face-first in the dirt. Resisting the urge to glare, he walked over to the pile of bricks and began to set them using telekinesis in one of the pre-marked areas. It was hard work even with PSI, not to mention miserable. He tried to picture that he was somewhere else, but with the necessity of his focus he couldn't bring himself to. He grunted as he moved a stack of bricks nearby so that he could arrange them. They just required their walls to be built to a minimum standard; they never demanded absolute perfection, meaning that he could make the walls strong enough so that they could serve as cover, but weak in several areas which would undermine the whole thing. That was something taught by fellow prisoners when he first arrived.

It wasn't long before the Pigmasks shoved another prisoner over, the one right across from the cell: King Polestar.

That was how they first met, because they were forced to participate in the slave labor the Pigmasks demanded, though why now he did not know. Despite their social status, they quickly began to talk, with them regularly discussing facts every time they got the opportunity to. It was possibly one of the few reasons both had endured as well as they did so far. At least the Pigmasks didn't bother to shut people up unless they knew they were talking about overthrow, but considering that was considered treason against them...

"How are you holding up Ness?" the king asked.

The teen shrugged. "I've seen better days, but it could've been worse," he replied. "Thank goodness I'm not homesick today. Those days are the worst."

"Considering your usual optimism, it is disturbing when that happens," the king remarked, grunting as he lifted up a brick of his own. "But I can't blame you for missing your family like that."

Ness nodded, trying to block out the memories. If they were too strong, he could very much dissolve into a wreck again, and that was the last thing he wanted right now. "So you hear anything else?" the teen asked, referring to the war.

"From what the guards have been talking about, there have been defeats for them around Ellay," the king answered. "Not to mention that their offensive has pretty much ran its course. Hopefully, their defense won't hold out and you'll be free soon."

"You too," Ness nodded. "The sooner we get out, the better."

"But that's only the best case scenario," the king sighed. "Much can happen, and this could very well turn into a drawn-out conflict."

Ness glumly accepted this, his new hope crushed. He knew the king didn't intend to make him feel worse, but it was still disheartening to hear that it wasn't anywhere close to ending. Maybe he could've helped if he volunteered and not cause his mom and sister the pain of not knowing where he could be...

"I wish I could help your forces," Ness whispered. "PSI users are supposed to be relatively rare."

"Be careful what you wish for," the king replied. "I've seen what war does to soldiers. It's not pretty, and I hope you don't ever understand why I say this."

"But-"

"Listen, I only allow kids on the front lines because I can't stop the military from doing that," the king grumbled, dropping more stones onto the stack. "If I could, I wouldn't allow it, but they insist that they learn how to become proper warriors and commanders in their youth in order to better serve the people. As if most of them had a choice..."

They fell silent with that, Ness simply brooding in his thoughts. He disagreed with the king's opinion on him going into the army. Surely if he fought with the Confederation's forces he could save lives and eventually reform would be brought without it, right? These Pigmasks were nothing more than extremists who sought violence to get their way.

"Hurry up!" one of the Pigmasks snapped. "We don't have all day to get this built! Move!"

Ness grumbled to himself as he continued to pick up the blocks and set them down, vowing that when he would get free he would make sure they would regret their hypocrisy.

* * *

"Mount Itoi has fallen? Already?"

Ninten gave an affirmative nod. "Me and Holland brought back some prisoners with us, though most are still awaiting transit. And we also have one...defector from them who's talking," Ninten said, figuring that it would be better to imply she was joining their side as opposed to going rogue. "Not sure what exactly her intentions are, but we're watching her carefully."

"Who is this 'defector'?" Lee asked.

"The commander of their base."

"You're kidding me," Livingston deadpanned. "You don't honestly believe we can trust her, do you?"

"She has provided valuable intelligence in all branches of the Pigmasks," Ninten argued. "We have their general dispositions around the area...as well as an abnormality."

"What do you mean?"

Ninten walked over to the nearby table, which displayed a map of Eagleland on it. "She told us that there are groups of Pigmasks gathering in eight different areas across Eagleland, some behind our line and the rest in non-important locations."

"Why weren't we able to notice them?" Lee asked. "Many of them are behind our lines and despite that..."

"These Pigmasks are covert," Ninten explained. "The units they allocated to their defense are among the best units they have remaining, though none are more than a battalion. But the fact that they are gathering in such strategically unimportant or risky locations for no apparent reason would be suspicious enough, and indeed there is a method to their madness." He took a deep breath, getting ready to drop the bomb and not spill the beans about the Eight Sanctuaries. "They are preparing special weapons at those locations and are getting ready to unleash them as soon as they are ready."

"What kind of weapons? And why in those locations?"

"She didn't have the clearance to know what, but as for 'why' it is likely because we wouldn't expect them there or they're out of the way."

"This is disturbing," Livingston muttered, leaning back in his chair. "Even if this front continues its successes, it'll be at least another month or two before we can hit them all."

"Aren't their overall headquarters at the castle?" Lee asked. "If they're building a superweapon, it'll likely be assembled there or at another important location. Regardless, it's our best place to look."

"No doubt it'll be heavily fortified though," Livingston replied grimly. "And we'd have to get there first."

"What if a small strike team hit all eight?" Ninten proposed. "A small team of PSI users should do the trick given proper equipment."

"General Xavier has been pointed direct commander of all PSI users along this front," Livingston answered. "You'll have to request permission from him first."

Ninten scowled in irritation. While he understood the purpose of the chain of command and why it was necessary, it was such a burden to deal with sometimes. The general wasn't even here yet, and the veteran didn't know how reasonable he would be. He might be an egomaniac and refuse to listen to Ninten...which in that case they might have to risk going rogue along with Kumatora. It'd be a desperate gamble though.

"Thank you sirs," Ninten saluted. "May I be dismissed?"

"Certainly," Lee replied. "We'll tell the general about your plan once he arrives."

"Thank you sirs," Ninten said as he left the tent, his thoughts directed at the future.

* * *

Lucas tapped his foot, awaiting the news. It had been well over 30 minutes since Ninten left for the command tent to meet with the general (who had arrived an hour before), and no news had come back. Lucas was tempted to start pacing but instead sighed, leaning more against the tree. He would've expected news already; worry nipping at him the longer he went without any such news.

"Hey."

Lucas's eyes drifted up to see Captain Holland stopping right next to him, kneeling down on one knee. "You okay kid?" she asked.

"I'm fine, just... Just a little concerned, that's all," Lucas replied.

"This is about Fubiki talking to the general, correct?"

"How did you know that?" the blonde questioned, eyes narrowing. If she knew anything...

"I happened to be walking past the command tent when he was talking to the colonels. Caught some of the tail end of their conversation, though it was enough to deduce some things."

"I'm just anxious for news, that's all," Lucas admitted, realizing that she couldn't have known exactly what they were after.

"Frankly, to not hear from him for this long probably is a good sign," Holland said. Lucas raised an eyebrow. "A lot of commanders can be quite...egotistical to say the least. Sometimes, even I find it difficult to realize that my plan might not be the best one," Holland explained. "I know nothing about General Xavier aside from the fact that he's a four star, but if he's taking the time to listen to the lieutenant's case, it probably is a good sign. Not certain, but a good sign."

"I guess I was just expecting him to be able to convince the general faster," Lucas mused. "I think I overestimated Ninten's influence."

"Fubiki certainly is a good warrior and leader," Holland remarked. "I can see why you've befriended him."

"He's also loyal and he's taught me a lot," Lucas said.

Just then, he felt someone behind him and he whipped around to see a smirking Ninten standing right there. "Couldn't you announce your presence instead of standing there mysteriously like that?" he asked.

"Eh, I just wanted to hear you pat my ego," Ninten joked. "But seriously, it was amusing to see your reaction," he added before his face shifted to serious. "The general's approved. We're moving out tomorrow morning, so be sure to take care of anything, like stocking up on equipment before we go, okay?"

"Got it," Lucas nodded.

"It was an honor serving with you two," Holland said, giving a salute.

"Likewise," Ninten replied as he and Lucas gave a similar salute before walking off.

"By the way, when you salute a superior officer you're supposed to use your other hand," Ninten said.

"Uh... My bad?"

* * *

Lucas bolted straight up, eyes wide open as he took deep breaths to calm down from his brief panic. He glanced left and right before he realized that they were safe. They were spending the night in Ninten's tent and the other four occupants were looking at him...

Oh. He must've caused quite a ruckus.

"Sorry," he sheepishly apologized. "Just a nightmare."

"What about?" Paula asked.

"It was nothing," Lucas replied, lying back down.

He heard someone sigh. "Well, just know that if you want to talk about it, you can," Paula said. He heard the shuffling of movement as everyone readjusted themselves back under their covers, and it wasn't long before Teddy's snores began to echo through the tent.

He heard Ninten curse. "Would be better if I slept outside," his friend grumbled. "What does he do? Drink himself silly every night?"

"Ninten, that was just mean," Paula rebuked.

"Sorry," Ninten grumbled. "Just...wish he wouldn't snore so loud."

"I think we all do," Paula sighed. "Let's just...try to get some rest."

It was silent again apart from Teddy's snored and the occasional shuffle. However, no matter how hard he tried, Lucas's mind refused to drift off even after a while of nothing other than the wildlife. With a deep sigh he sat up, throwing the covers off, putting his shoes on as he stood up. The blonde quietly snuck out of the tent, being careful not to wake anyone up as he headed out into the night.

The camp was deserted, no one sitting at the fireplaces. However, Lucas knew there would be night guards around the perimeter and maybe patrolling around the tents. Lucas sympathized with them a little: he would hate to do their job with how much he could sleep, though that wouldn't help much if they spotted him. Thankfully, no one spotted him as he sat down by a nearby fire pit, the embers of a fire still glowing ever-so faintly. Just hours before soldiers were sitting around similar ones, talking and laughing, but he could not will himself to share their carefree sentiment. This was war. Lives were lost by the dozens, the hundreds, perhaps even the thousands each day. It seemed wrong for him to go ahead and laugh after seeing people like James die.

Of course, this was not the only concern on his mind. His thoughts also dwelled upon the Eight Sanctuaries, particularly the power they were said to wield. Kumatora had made it quite clear that the Pigmask leadership would see no problem in using it no matter the consequences, but if he, Ninten, and their forces used it, who knows what could happen. He was beginning to doubt his decision in the midst of the night, feeling himself being torn into two.

"Hey."

Lucas nearly jumped out of his skin as he whipped around, but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Paula there. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Just the nightmare," Lucas said. "As well as Teddy's snoring."

Paula laughed. "Yeah. Ninten really hated it too, didn't he?" But as soon as Lucas felt relief at the fact that she wasn't prying, her face hardened. "But there's something else, isn't there?"

Lucas sighed as he looked down. "...I guess it also has to do with the Eight Sanctuaries." When Paula didn't reply, he continued. "I wonder if I made the right decision. I mean, pursuing a power that could potentially corrupt us and deal even greater carnage than before? And this will be a battle we'll rage for the rest of our lives?"

"There are two sides to every story," Paula said. "I can see why you and Ana agreed to this. Teddy just, frankly, seems to be more stubborn on winning the war than anything, but I guess in the fog of war it's difficult to look ahead. Heck, none of us can predict how this'll end and what'll come after. It's easy to lose sight of the future in the midst of battle."

"Maybe, but...what if we can't control it?" Lucas muttered. "What would I have done...?"

"Lucas, we agreed to think about it some more and see the situation before using the Melodies," Paula reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It could be that we might not need it after all, and therefore we can destroy it."

"But what if it were stolen despite my reassurances that it wouldn't? I'm really thinking I should've taken Ninten's side now..."

"Ninten is a good leader and very smart, but he does tend to be timid regarding power," Paula explained. "He does admit that sometimes more power is necessary, but not beyond what is agreed on, and there have been times he's been wrong in the past. Don't worry; he's not mad at you or anything for not supporting him. He's more open-minded than that."

"It's not that I'm worried about," Lucas said. "If it does indeed corrupt people, then it's...frightening to think of Ninten turning into a bloodthirsty monster. He's one of the strongest people I know, and he...he's afraid of it."

"Strong can mean many things, but it doesn't mean extinguishing fear completely," Paula reassured him. "I know that sounds strange, but please bear with me. When he started out, he was...well, he was far more shy and timid than he is now."

"What?"

"He just learned how to adapt to his environment and job, making him who you see him to be, though he does have similar nightmares."

"He does?"

Paula sighed. "In war, it's easy to become traumatized, and Ninten had some experiences years ago when he was new." She met his eyes. "You'll learn that it's better to feel than to be numb in war, even if detachment makes things easier."

"But how? If detachment is such an easy thing to fall into..."

"Detachment on the battlefield is one thing," Paula explained. "It's kill or be killed there. If it affects your everyday interactions, then you're likely traumatized."

"I see."

Several moments of silence passed with neither really knowing how to resume the conversation. The silence was broken when the former princess yawned standing back up. "I'm heading back to the tent. Whenever you want to turn in, feel free, though I suggest you do it soon. You'll need the rest."

"Thank you," Lucas said, turning his attention back to the coals.

"No problem," Paula replied as he listened to her footsteps heading back to the tent. "Just don't stay up too late."

"I won't." And he was alone again, back to his thoughts. Only that they seemed to be settled, though he did not want to head back just yet.

Well, what harm did a little bit of stargazing ever do? Being a pleasant night only helped things.

* * *

His patience running short, Ninten paced back and forth, occasionally glancing up at the sky and tapping his foot. It was nearly time for them to leave, yet they were still getting ready. Granted, Ninten had to get not a whole lot; just some light armor (chainmail, breastplate and gauntlets), but still. _'What is taking them?'_ he growled mentally.

He sighed with relief when he heard someone walking up to him, raising an eyebrow in confusion when he saw Kumatora, decked out in similar clothing except brass knuckles instead of gauntlets and her hammer on her back. "I'm coming with you," she declared.

"What?"

"I said I'm coming with you," she repeated with an irritated sigh.

"I know, but why?" Ninten asked. "And how did you get out?"

"Because I cannot trust anyone with that power," Kumatora answered, clenching her fist. "I will make sure that no one will use it, even if I must strike you all down myself. And the general sent me to join you because of my expertise on Pigmask tactics and strategies...though it's also probably to keep me in check since I'd be surrounded by four other PSI users at all times and to prevent me from acting as a spy in the event I was one since I'd be away from the main forces."

"Very reassuring."

"Are you saying that _you're_ after the power yourself?" Kumatora questioned incredulously.

"Yes and no," Ninten replied. "We will use the Sound Stone to get access to the Sanctuaries, but if we don't need it, then I will personally be all too happy to plant my foot through it."

Kumatora looked like she was about to snap, but instead took a deep breath and looked around. "Still, looks like everyone's taking their sweet time getting here," she deadpanned. Ironically, a few seconds later footsteps began to echo in the near distance. "...Shut up," Kumatora grumbled, even though Ninten wasn't even doing so much as looking at her when she said it. Then again, there was a bit of an amused smirk on his face and she probably knew him well enough to know it was there without even looking.

Lucas was the first to reach the clearing, but any greetings he would've uttered stalled as he caught sight of Kumatora and demanded, "What is _she_ doing here?"

"I'm coming along for the ride. Why else would I be here?" She rolled her eyes as she continued, tone absolutely dripping with sarcasm. "It's like the question of the year is 'what in the world is Kumatora up to?' God."

"Expect anything less?" Ninten muttered under his breath as he shook his head out of exasperation.

"I heard that!" Kumatora snapped, glaring at her old friend.

As much as Ninten wanted to believe there was still some of the friend he knew in her, he refused to get his hopes up. She was at best a rogue who was a reluctant teammate while he was a loyal soldier. He doubted they would get along the way they used to.

"Well, I hope you realize that if you try anything, you'll have to deal with five of us against one of you, even though you managed to escape," Paula pointed out, taking a threatening step forward.

"Humph." With that, Kumatora folded her arms and looked away, evidently her patience running short given that she did not even provide an explanation.

Ninten looked everyone over, noting their changes in weapon and equipment, like how Paula acquired a new rapier that was more her size with and boots, Lucas taking a small hammer and leather gauntlets, and Ana with a bow and arrows.

 _'We're ready,'_ he nodded to himself, but he knew that he had to at least make sure that everyone was ready. "I know you probably realize this, but we'll be on our own for a while," he began. "We have eight targets, and we are vastly outnumbered. But what we can balance this out with is our PSI. One PSI user alone cannot do this. But with the combined firepower of five, we are more than a match for any small force as long as we aren't careless. That involves being sure that we have enough weaponry and supplies to last and sticking together, so I'll ask you all this: are you sure you have everything you need?"

A chorus of affirmatives rang out to Ninten's satisfaction. "Then we head to Onett first," he declared, pointing dramatically into the distance, determined to make sure this group emerged intact.

"Move out!"

* * *

This was almost too easy. _'Those fools have no idea what we're up to,'_ the man chuckled to himself as he examined the progress of the device. Assembly had been finished mere days ago, but they still required a power source: Something that could equivocate to nuclear power. However, nuclear power itself would not work because it would not only take too long to build them, but it would be too hard to hide especially with how a few spies have already been detected. However, there was no way that even the best spies could find out what their ultimate goal was, since that was something only he and Fassad knew.

And how ironic that their weapon would be unleashed right from the throne room: the very seat of power in which the so-called monarchs sat on, the symbol of their leadership. But in a way it was fitting, since it would signify the dawn of a new age... The age of the strong ruler. If that pathetic Confederation had more power, there wouldn't be so much instability and corruption in the individual city-states.

His thoughts continued to wander as he admired the work on the device, the Pigmask soldiers working hard on maintaining it. _These_ were the smart ones; the ones who realized what a terrible society they were growing up in. It was only a pity that they would have to throw their lives away only to buy time...but he vowed that they would not be lost in vain. As soon as the weapon was ready, he would be unleashed upon the world and those ignorant Eaglelanders who only knew how to be herded by the wolves.

It baffled him to no end how the average Eaglelander could tolerate such a backwards society, and it astounded him that they would rise up against the ones who were looking ahead and wanted to save the world. If they could see the big picture like he could, there wouldn't be this much bloodshed and this war wouldn't even be necessary. But no. Eagleland propaganda had corrupted their minds, swayed them against those seeking to liberate them from their oppression. _'If humanity goes extinct because of the weapon, it's their fault,'_ the man growled to himself, clenching his fists as his blood boiled. Honestly, he would rather die as opposed to being captured. Better to end his life free as opposed to suffering through more of that corruption.

 _'But that won't be necessary. With his help, there's no way we can lose,'_ Porky chuckled, but broke out into a fit of coughs. A few Pigmasks looked over at him in concern, but he brushed them off. A leader needed to be strong, not break down after every small cough. It wasn't long until his breathing returned to normal, and then a sudden thought hit him: He was the only one who was still alive that existed prior to the PSI Wars. Maybe _that_ was the reason that he could see it. The governments of old held themselves together despite the threat of extinction, and this government couldn't fight the inequality and the corruption!

 _'Now why didn't I realize that before?'_ the man wondered to himself, but he chuckled. _'I guess realizations work in...unique ways. Besides, there won't be any of that wrong for much longer. Soon, we'll make things the way they should be, and we'll finally see peace. No revolts, no dissent; nothing.'_ He would just have to be patient for a little longer... Yes, that will do.

He just needed a little more time to make everything ready, and then they'd win the war.

* * *

 _Eagleland Interrogation Policy: In any case, there is at least one PSI user present to determine whether or not they are being honest. There are a number of methods Eagleland soldiers employ to get information from any enemy, but torture is one of the more common. Granted, with the Pigmasks not behaving very kindly to even the civilians in their territory, it is natural for the average Eagleland soldier to begin to resent the Pigmasks, as well as the fact that without training, the rebels easily crack, but still._

 _Badlands: Due to the massive destruction that took place during the wars, there have been...a lot of changes to the ecosystem outside of Eagleland. These are referred to as the Badlands because of all the death that can take place there. For example, various alien 'pets' and 'lesser minions' were left behind in their evacuation, meaning that they only serve to roam around in there and attack anyone who dares venture into the Badlands. In short, most sane people wouldn't go in there._

 _Pigmask Prisoner Policy: They are just as cruel as the Eaglelanders, despite their arguments of 'moral superiority', though this is due to lack of proper facilities, the same thing Eagleland was suffering from. But in terms of maintenance they are even worse, not even bothering to give them sanitary plates to eat from and letting disease spread through their prisons. They also don't allow talk, a direct order from their top commanders. These were intended to break enemy troops, and as a result enemy morale, letting them know the consequences of resisting the Pigmasks. Once news of this leaked out, it backfired spectacularly, some of the neutral populace joining the Confederation while those already sided with Eagleland saw their resolve stiffen._


End file.
